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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Mr.  Fukuzawa  in  1893. 


'j    jD9q?.95Mb2    brus    aDnsbnaqabnl     .(0 


lav  ion  ,>fnirfJ  av/  }KrH  Ih;  ^^  ionnjrj  aW     .(L) 

iu.    t<      '    KOq  3JJ11   "•'     :  •  '    .    '    .  '/.••-•  •>  •'>   Li£  •  •  I 
UK  moil     ninifiiedji 


(i).     Independence    and    Self-Respect    constitute 
Morality. 

(2).     We  cannot  say  all  that  we  think,  nor  yet 

Do  all  we  say  :  therefore  true  peace  of  mind 
Lies  in  abstaining  from  all  thought. 


r'ac-simile  of  Scrolls  written  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa. 
[Translations  preceding  page.] 


A    LIFE 
MR.  YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA 


BY 

ASATARO    MIYAMORI 

OF  KEIO  GIJUKU. 

REVISED 

BY 
E.    H.    VICKERS, 

Professor  of  Political  Economy  in  Keio  Gijuku. 

WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION 

BY 
PROF.   KADONO. 


Z.  P.  MARUYA  &  CO.,    LTD. 

(MARUZEN    KABUSH1K1  KA1SHA. ) 
TOKYO    &    OSAKA. 

I9O2. 


T>S 

88  "4 


NOTE. 

The  materials  for  this  book  have  been  drawn 
from  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  "  Autobiography,"  his  "  Com- 
plete Works,"  and  the  Aitoroku  or  "  In  Memo- 
riam  of  Mr.  Fukuzavva  "  ;  and  some  passages  have 
been  borrowed  from  Dr.  Murray's  "  Japan." 

The  chapter  on  the  Keio  Gijuku  may  seem 
somewhat  too  long ;  but  I  beg  the  reader  to 
remember  that  the  history  of  the  institution  abounds 
in  instructive  incidents,  and  the  character  and 
principles  of  its  venerable  founder  are  shown  with 
advantage  in  this  chapter. 

I  am  much  indebted  for  some  valuable  sugges- 
tions to  Mr.  R.  Kitagawa,  editor  of  the  Jiji  Shimf>6  ; 
and  I  have  also  to  thank  Prof.  Dening  for  cour- 
tesies extended  by  him. 

A.  MIYAMOKI. 
Tokyo,  January,  1902. 


1927857  . 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter.  Page 

Reviser's  Note      i 

Introduction  by  Prof.  K  \DONO    v 

I.     Introduction i 

II.     Parentage  and  Boyhood        5 

III.  Studies  at  Nagasaki      12 

IV.  Studies  at  Osaka 15 

V.     Difficulties  of  Learning  English 24 

VI.     First  Visit  to  the  United  States    29 

VII.  The  Foreign  Policy  of  the  Tokugawa  Government  ...  36 

VIII.     Visit  to  Europe      43 

IX.     The  Namamugi  Affair 48 

X.     Second  Visit  to  the  United  States       53 

XI.     The  Meiji  Restoration 56 

XII.     The  Keio  Gijuku 69 

XIII.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  as  a  Writer 86 

XIV.  Mr.  Fuku/awa  as  a  Journalist      107 

XV.     Later  Years 118 

XVI.     Mr.  Fukuzawa's  Code  of  Morals         127 

XVII.     Death     134 

XVIII.     Personal  Appearance,  Habits,  and  Conduct        140 

Appendix  A.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  and  his  Views.    By  Prof.  Dening      ...  151 

Appendix  B.  The    Mita    System    of   Ethics    and   its    Detractors. 

ISy  Prof.  Dening 173 


REVISER'S  NOTE. 


Mr.  Fukuzavva  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
Japanese  of  the  present  era.  His  influence — unlike 
that  of  statesmen,  soldiers  or  scientists — was  not 
direct,  visible  and  measurable.  His  work  as  author, 
journalist  and  educator  was  to  enlighten  and  train 
the  minds,  to  ennoble  and  strengthen  the  character 
of  his  countrymen.  Operating  thus  on  intelligence 
and  motive,  he  rendered  preeminent  service  in  fixing 
deep  and  firm  the  foundations  of  the  present  Japanese 
state  and  society.  This  work  beneath  the  surface 
may  escape  notice,  or  its  importance  is  likely  to  be 
underestimated.  Foreigners  especially  may  question 
the  merits  or  the  greatness  of  the  man.  Some  may 
search  his  works  in  vain  for  philosophic  or  scientific 
expositions  to  rival  those  of  occidental  masters. 
Others  may  regret  the  absence  of  Christian  dogma, 
or  may  still  more  broadly  object  to  the  foundations 
of  his  morality.  They  forget  that  such  doubts  rest 
on  standards  of  judgment  which  are  radically  false 
and  unjust.  LThe  works  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  can  be 
justly  compared  only  with  those  of  his  contemporary 


countrymen.  They  can  be  correctly  judged  only  in 
the  light  of  the  peculiar  environment  in  which  they 
were  produced  and  by  which  the  whole  life  of  the 
author  was  conditioned,  incomparably  more  rigidly 
than  was  the  life  of  any  Western  writer  by  his 
national  environment.  Mr.  Miyamori's  essay  amply 
proves  this — a  fact  of  sufficient  importance  alone  to 
justify  its  publication.  When  viewed  in  this  light 
the  marvel  is  that  Mr.  Fukuzawa  could  accept,  still 
more  could  teach  the  superiority  of  Western  civiliza- 
tion— that  his  ethical  code  was  so  noble  and  broad 
in  conception  and  so  nearly  in  accord  with  the 
precepts  of  a  religion  whose  dogmas  he  did  not  accept 
and  against  whose  creed  most  influences  of  environ- 
ment were  of  a  nature  powerfully  to  prejudice  him  ! 
The  wonder  should  rather  be  that  men  who  recognise 
the  necessity  of  studying  plants  and  animals  with 
exclusive  reference  to  their  environment  should  fail  to 
see  the  equally  obvious  necessity  of  judging  the 
product  of  an  exclusive  and  long  isolated  civilization 
with  at  least  partial  reference  to  the  conditioning 
environment. 

An  appreciation  of  the  peculiar  work  accom- 
plished by  Mr.  Fukuzawa  is  essential  to  a  correct 
estimate  of  the  influences  which  transformed  Me- 


diaeval  into  Modern  Japan.  Those  who  seek  a 
knowledge  of  the  country,  but  who  cannot  read 
Japanese,  will  therefore  doubtless  welcome  the 
present  essay.  The  hope  that  its  publication 
might  make  some  otherwise  inaccessible  material 
available  to  them,  that  it  might  also,  while  assist- 
ing to  place  an  illustrious  man  in  clearer  light, 
illustrate  the  power  of  individual  intelligence  and 
character  in  social  evolution, — this  hope  induced 
me  to  undertake  the  revision  of  the  manuscript.  In 
making  corrections,  the  aim  has  been  to  make  the 
fewest  changes  that  were  consistent  with  clearness. 
The  original  form,  arrangement,  construction  and 
wording  have  therefore  been  as  far  as  practicable 
preserved.  It  is  my  sincere  wish  that  a  large  circle 
of  readers  may  find  in  the  perusal  of  this  essay  as 
much  interest  and  profit  as  I  have. 

E.  H.  VICKERS. 


INTRODUCTION 

BY 

PROF.  KADONO, 
Dean  of  Keio  Gijuku. 

Though  the  fact  that  our  country  could  have 
come  out  of  the  most  critical  stage  of  our  national 
existence  with  such  signal  success  can  not  be  due  to 
the  acts  of  any  one  or  a  few  individuals,  yet  if  there 
is  one  man  who  has  contributed  more  than  any  other 
toward  the  end,  I  venture  to  say,  Fukuzawa  Yukichi 
is  that  one.  This  is  by  no  means  the  vain  boast  of 
those  connected  with  him,  but  the  opinion  endorsed 
by  numerous  impartial  observers  in  the  country. 
However  this  may  be,  it  is  an  incontestable  fact  that 
his  personal  influence  was  as  great  as  it  can  be  in  the 
case  of  any  person  in  private  position  ;  so  great  that 
he  was  popularly  called  "  the  Great  Commoner  of 
Mita." 

Indeed  it  is  impossible  to  find  a  parallel  to  the 
life  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  in  modern  societies  of  Europe 
or  America.  He  is  often  spoken  of  as  an  Arnold  or 


a  Carlyle  of  Japan.  The  comparison  gives  no  just 
idea  ;  he  exercised  a  far  greater  influence  than  the 
designations  "scholar"  or  "  writer  "  would  suggest. 
If  we  try  to  find  his  parallel  in  European  history, 
the  religious  reformers  in  the  period  of  Reformation 
are  the  nearest  types.  But  this  is  only  true  in 
respect  of  the  wide  influence  they  exerted  over  the 
society  of  their  time  ;  for  his  reformation  was  not 
confined  to  the  sphere  of  religion,  but  covered  every 
field  of  social  activities.  He  was  not  a  politician, 
yet  he  was  fond  of  political  discussion.  Not  only 
many  enlightened  politicians  came  out  of  his  school, 
but  also  those  actually  in  power  in  the  government 
were  often  benefited  by  his  advice  and  admonitions. 
At  the  same  time,  he  was  educating  the  people  by 
his  copious  writings  in  books  and  newspapers  and 
thus  preparing  the  way  for  those  enlightened  politi- 
cians. The  same  was  the  case  in  matters  of  religion 
and  business.  He  was  not  a  man  of  religion,  yet  he 
knew  the  need  of  a  sound  religion  ;  nor  was  he  a 
man  of  business,  yet  he  upheld  the  modern  impor- 
tance of  trade  ;  and  it  was  not  seldom  that  religious 
and  business  classes  were  benefited  by  his  advice 
which'  he  was  always  ready  to  give  them.  The 
great  master  used  to  say  :  "  Among  the  crowd  of 


spectators  at  a  play,  there  is  but  one  person  who  can 
feel  the  greatest  possible  pleasure  in  the  sight  ;  I 
mean  the  'author  of  the  play."  He  wanted  to  be 
one.  He  preferred  the  part  of  an  author  to  that  of 
an  actor  and  it  was  well  for  the  country  that  he 
made  this  choice.  His  versatile  genius,  his  power  of 
conversation,  his  lucid  style  of  writing,  in  short 
almost  every  quality  of  his  remarkable  character 
fitted  him  for  the  unique  part  he  was  destined  to  fill 
in  our  society.  We  know  he  succeeded  in  a  great 
measure  in  being  at  once  the  author  and  spectator 
of  one  of  the  most  wonderful  dramas  ever  played  on 
the  stage  of  History. 

Mr.  Miyamori  is  a  graduate  of  Keio  Gijuku  and 
is  actually  a  teacher  of  English  in  that  school 
Such  a  connection  with  the  subject  of  his  writing, 
though  it  may  not  be  favorable  to  the  fairness  of  his 
judgment,  has  the  advantage  of  intimate  knowledge 
and  saves  him  from  the  superficiality  of  an  outsider. 
Moreover  there  is  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  story  of  his  own 
life,  which,  I  believe,  was  the  chief  source  of  Mr. 
Miyamori's  materials.  In  his  Autobiography,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  speaks  of  his  faults  as  well  as  his  merits 
with  a  candidness  truly  remarkable.  This  can  only 
be  expected  from  a  man  who  was  convinced  that, 


with  all  his  faults  candidly  revealed,  he  was  yet  a 
superior  man  and  rendered  a  great  service  to  his 
country.  The  world  is  prone  to  appreciate  only  the 
deeds  of  politicians  and  warriors.  It  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  a  man  whose  actions  and  teachings 
were  chiefly  behind  the  curtain,  should  remain  com- 
paratively unnoticed  in  the  outside  world.  Mr. 
Miyamori's  object  in  writing  this  little  book  was 
perhaps  to  do  something  toward  ensuring  for  his 
great  master  the  due  notice  of  those  foreigners  in- 
terested in  our  recent  eventful  history,  and  I  am  sure 
that  the  book  will  prove  a  useful  contribution  to  the 
English  historical  literature. 

I.  KADONO, 

Keio  Gijuku. 


A   LIFE 

OF 

Mr.  YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA. 


"  A  king  can  mak'  a  belted  knight, 

A  marquis,  duke,  and  a'  that : 
But  an  honest  man's  aboon  his  might, 

Guid  faith,  he  mauna  fa'  that ! 

For  a'  that,  and  a'  that, 

Their  dignities,  and  a'  that. 

The  pith  o'  sense,  and  pride  o'  worth 

Are  higher  ranks  than  a'  that.' 

CHAPTER     I. 
INTRODUCTION. 

AMONG  the  great  names  in  the  history  of  the 
present  Japanese  civilization  there  is  none  more 
deserving  of  notice  than  that  of  the  late  Mr.  Yukichi 
Fuk'uzawa,  the  "  Sage  of  Mita."  It  is  undeniable 
that  during  the  last  forty  years  of  marvellous  change 
and  progress,  he  most  ably  guided  his  countrymen. 


2  .1   Ul<r.   Ol<  Mr.    YL'h'lClIl  /••CKiy.lir.l.  CHAP. 

In  1858,  the  Tokugawa  government  concluded 
treaties  with  Western  powers  and  the  doors  of  Japan 
were  opened  to  foreign  intercourse.  But  this  was 
done  under  the  pressure  of  the  powers,  and  the 
actual  opening  of  Japan  was  effected  only  after 
many  long  years  of  struggle  :  for  behind  her  doors 
there  still  remained  a  strong  wall  of  anti-foreign 
prejudice.  For  more  than  two  centuries,  the  Japa- 
nese had  lived  in  quiet  seclusion  from  the  outside 
world.  Hence  they  were  in  utter  ignorance  of 
affairs  in  foreign  countries,  while  their  minds  were 
tilled  with  the  antiquated  principles  of  Chinese 
learning.  They  looked  down  on  foreigners  as 
barbarians  and  considered  foreign  trade  as  injurious 
to  national  interests.  Even  the  educated  classes 
shared  these  prejudices.  Under  the  circumstances, 
it  was  no  wonder  that  the  new  foreign  policy  of  the 
government  provoked  most  bitter  attacks  from 
misguided  patriots.  Then  followed  a  succession  of 
assassinations  both  of  foreigners  and  of  native 
scholars  of  progressive  ideas  ;  and  the  anti-foreign 
sentiment  at  last  culminated  in  a  long  period  of 
anarchy  and  civil  war.  During  this  period,  the 
Meiji  Revolution  was  effected.  While  most  patriots 
were  thus  busy  with  politics  and  war  and  the  whole 


I  INTRODUCTION  3 

nation  was  possessed  by  excitement,  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
saw  the  vital  necessity  of  breaking  down  the  wall  of 
prejudice  and  of  introducing  Western  civilization. 
Voluntarily  he  assumed  the  thankless  task  of  aiding 
in  this  great  work  ;  and  steadily,  persistently,  in  the 
face  of  opposition  and  personal  peril,  he  played  in  his 
unique  way  a  most  unselfish  and  important  role. 

As  the  author  of  "  Things  Western"  and  many 
other  works,  as  the  founder  of  the  Keio  Gijuku,  then 
the  only  institution  in  Japan  where  Western  learning 
might  be  acquired,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  performed  inesti- 
mable services  in  opening  the  eyes  of  his  countrymen. 
It  is  indeed  no  exaggeration  to  say  that,  but  for  his 
efforts  and  for  those  of  his  £o-workers,  Japan  might 
have  met  with  the  same  fate  as  the  present  China. 
Furthermore,  as  a  social  reformer,  as  a  political 
mentor,  as  the  founder  and  editor-in-chief  of  the 
Jiji  Sliiiiipd,  as  a  champion  of  women's  rights,  as  a 
promoter,  of  commerce  and  industries,  and  as  the 
author  of  the  so-called  "  Mr.  Fukuxawa's  Code  of 
Morals,"  he  contributed  much  more  than  any  other 
man  to  the  building  up  of  the  "  New  Japan."  He 
was  not  a  statesman,  lie  never  held  office  under  the 
Imperial  Government.  He  was  never  a  legislator, 
nor  was  he  a  leader  of  armies.  He  was  always  an 


4  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.  YUiUCm  FUKUZAWA.          CH.M-. 

untitled  subject  and  a  private  citizen,  living  and 
doing  his  work  chiefly  with  the  pen  and  apart  from 
the  crowd.  Yet  nobody  has  influenced  the  life  and 
thought  of  his  countrymen  more  deeply  and  more 
extensively  than  the  "  Great  Commoner."  Those 
who  have  lived  in  the  present  era,  whether  young  or 
old,  high  or  low,  are  more  or  less  intellectual  debtors 
to  him.  Kven  those  of  our  countrymen  who  differ 
in  views  from  him  have  received  from  him  a  great 
stimulus.  There  is  no  town  or  village  throughout 
the  Empire  where  his  good  influence  is  not  felt.  Dr. 
Griffis  is  quite  right  in  calling  him  the  "intellectual 
father  of  half  the  youth  of  Japan." 

It  is  true  that  there  have  been  many  other 
scholars  who  have  made  efforts  for  the  introduction 
of  Western  civili/.ation  into  Japan.  But  most  of 
them  influenced  only  the  educated  classes.  Some  of 
them  were  led  astray  in  their  efforts  by  conservative 
principles,  by  a  sort  of  "  Japanism  "  if  thp  term  is 
permissible  ;  and  others  have  devoted  their  energies 
chiefly  to  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of  the  upper 
classes.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  aimed  at  thoroughly  West- 
ernizing the  people  at  large,  and  never  for  a  moment 
in  his  life  did  he  swerve  from  his  purpose. 

The    Yorosu   Cliolio  puts   it   none    too    strongly 


II  PARENTAGE  AND  BOYHOOD.  5 

when  it  says,  "  We  can  spare  Itos  and  Shibusawas, 
for  there  can  be  found  many  men  who  are  their 
equals  and  who  can  fill  their  places.  But  we  can 
find  no  successor  to  the  late  Sage  of  Mita."  He  was 
pre-eminently  the  greatest  benefactor  modern  Japan 
has  had ;  and  the  House  of  Representatives  ap- 
propriately expressed  the  national  sorrrow  when  it 
passed  a  unanimous  vote  of  condolence  on  the 
death  of  Japan's  Grand  Old  Man. 

How  Mr.  Fukuzawa  struggled  against  the  frowns 
of  poverty  ;  how,  surmounting  innumerable  and 
apparently  insuperable  obstacles,  he  acquired  Western 
learning  ;  how,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  assassination, 
he  taught  his  fellow  countrymen  ;  how  he  continued 
his  noble  efforts  to  his  last  year, — a  narration  of 
these  particulars  must  prove  at  once  interesting  and 
instructive  to  a  large  circle  of  readers,  both  Japanese 
and  foreign.  With  this  conviction,  and  with  the 
earnest  hope  that  the  present  effort  to  present  such 
a  narration  may  prove  at  least  moderately  acceptable, 
the  following  pages  are  offered  to  the  public. 

CHAPTER     II. 
PARENTAGE  AND  BOYHOOD. 

MR.  Yukichi  Fukuzawa  was  born  on  the  twelfth 
of  December,  1834  (the  fifth  year  of  Tempo), 


6  \  IJl-K  01-  Mr.   YUKICHl  WKVZ. lll'.t.          CHAP. 

at  Dojima,  in  the  city  of  Osaka.  He  was  the 
youngest  of  five  children,  of  whom  the  eldest  was  a 
hoy  and  the  other  three  were  girls.  His  father, 
Hyakusuke  Fukuzawa,  was  a  retainer  of  Okudaira 
Daizen-no-Taifu,  the  lord  of  the  Nakatsu  clan  in  the 
province  of  Bux.en,  Kyushu.  As  an  accountant  of  the 
kurayasJiiki or  granary  establishment*  of  his  clan,  the 
father  lived  many  years  in  Osaka.  He  was  a  samurai 
of  subordinate  rank  and  his  duty  as  an  accountant 
was  generally  considered  below  the  dignity  of  a 
samurai.  He  was  a  Chinese  scholar  trained  to 
unquestioning  belief  in  Confucian  doctrines.  Like 
most  Chinese  scholars  of  his  day,  he  regarded 
pecuniary  affairs  as  beneath  one's  dignity.  Naturally 
enough  he  was  dissatisfied  with  his  position  ;  but 
circumstances  did  not  allow  him  to  choose  a  more 
congenial  occupation. 

Vukichi's  mother,  Jun,  was  a  daughter  of  a 
samurai  in  the  same  clan.  She  appears  to  havr 
been  a  tender-hearted  yet  strong-willed  woman  and 
of  a  charitable  disposition. 


*  The  clans  in  central  and  southern  Japan  had  establishments  in 
Osaka,  the  commercial  centre  of  that  region,  in  order  to  sell  the  tribute 
rice  collected  from  farmers. 


II  PARENTAGE  AND  ROYHOOD.  7 

Hyakusuke  educated  his  children  in  the  Con- 
fucian doctrines.  Some  of  them  were  once  sent  to  a 
private  tutor  who  had  among  his  pupils  the  children 
of  merchants.  As  was  customary  in  a  centre 
of  commerce  like  Osaka,  this  tutor  taught  the 
children,  not  only  reading  and  writing,  but  also  the 
multiplication  table.  When  Hyakusuke  heard  of 
this,  he  said,  "  What  nonsense  to  teach  children  to 
count  !  Such  a  teacher  won't  do  for  my  children." 
Accordingly  he  withdrew  his  children  from  the 
school. 

Hyakusuke  died  at  the  age  of  forty-five.  Yukichi 
being  then  only  three  years  old.  The  eldest  son  was 
at  that  time  a  mere  boy  of  eleven  years,  and  the 
daughters  were  under  ten.  The  unfortunate  mother, 
with  her  helpless  family,  returned  to  live  in  Naka- 
tsu,  her  native  town.  Owing  to  her  many  years' 
residence  in  Osaka,  she  had  come  to  speak  the 
Osaka  dialect  ;  and  her  children  also  differed  in 
language  and  manners  from  their  neighbors.  This 
naturally  inclined  them  to  avoid  making  intimate 
friends  of  their  neighbors  and  relations.  The 
children  usually  stayed  at  home  and  played  with 
each  other.  Owing  in  part  to  the  teachings  of  their 
dead  father  and  in  part  to  the  influence  of  their 


8  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHl  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

kind-hearted  mother,  they  were  well  behaved.  They 
never  quarreled  with  one  another  and  never  visited 
theatres  or  other  places  of  amusement.  Theirs  was, 
indeed,  a  happy  home. 

The  family  received  a  monthly  allowance  from 
the  clan,  but  it  was  so  small  that  they  could  not 
afford  to  employ  a  servant.  The  mother,  assisted  by 
the  elder  children,  performed  all  the  household 
duties.  When  he  became  old  enough,  Yukichi  too 
helped  his  mother,  pounding  rice,  cooking  food,  and 
cultivating  some  land.  He  was  expert  in  manual 
labor  and  took  delight  in  mechanical  contrivances. 
He  was  skilful  in  pasting  paper  on  shoji  (paper 
doors)  and  partitions.  Services  of  this  kind  he 
performed,  not  only  for  his  mother's  family,  but  also 
sometimes  for  other  relatives.  As  a  cobbler,  he  made 
and  repaired  clogs  and  sandals  for  himself  and  for 
members  of  the  immediate  family.  Occasionally  he 
mended  mats,  stopped  leaks  in  the  house-roof,  and 
even  hooped  pails. 

Yukichi's  brother,  Sannosuke,  was  educated  in 
Chinese  learning  and  became  a  thorough  Confucian. 
Some  years  later  he  went  to  reside  in  Osaka  as  an 
accountant  of  the  granary  establishment.  He  once 
asked  young  Yukichi  what  he  intended  to  be  in 


II  PARENTAGE  AND  BOY.'IOOD.  9 

the  future.  "  Well,"  answered  the  latter,  "  I  wish  to 
become  the  richest  man  in  Japan  and  to  spend  as 
much  money  as  I  please."  Sannosuke  made  a  wry 
face  and  scolded  him.  Then  Yukichi  asked  his 
brother's  aim  in  life.  "A  Confucian  moralist  to  my 
death,"  was  the  reply. 

When  Yukichi  was  twelve  or  thirteen  years  old, 
he  one  day  passed  where  his  brother  was  arranging 
some  papers  and  accidentally  trod  on  one  of  the 
sheets.  The  brother  exclaimed,  "  Look  out !  Can't 
you  see  ?  Isn't  here  in  this  paper  written  the  name 
of  our  lord  Okudaira  Daizen-no-Taifu  ?  "  "Is  there 
indeed?"  said  he,  "  I  did  not  know  that."  "Why, 
have  you  no  eyes  ?  Is  it  right  for  a  retainer  to  tread 
on  the  name  of  his  lord  ?  "  The  brother  then 
proceeded  with  a  severe  scolding  and  a  long  discourse 
on  the  duties  of  a  vassal  to  his  lord,  after  which 
Yukichi  was  obliged  to  beg  pardon.  But  the  young 
boy  doubted  whether  it  was  wrong  to  tread  on  a 
piece  of  paper,  even  though  the  name  of  his  lord 
were  inscribed  thereon.  He  further  meditated  thus  : 
"  If  it  were  wrong  to  do  this,  what  would  happen  if 
I  trod  on  the  name  of  a  god  ?"  After  this  reasoning, 
he  secretly  trod  on  a  piece  of  paper  which  contained 
the  name  of  a  god.  Since  ±his  act  brought  no 


io  A  LIFE  OP  Mr.  YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.        CHAP. 

dreadful  consequence,  he  thought :  "  Well,  there  is 
no  harm  in  this.  Let  me  make  another  experiment." 
This  time  he  subjected  the  paper  to  most  debasing 
usage,  a  little  fearful  of  the  consequence ;  but,  to 
his  great  satisfaction,  no  evil  followed.  Thus 
he  became  convinced  that  there  was  no  divine 
punishment  as  understood  by  the  Japanese.  As 
he  grew  older,  he  perceived  the  gross  absurdity 
of  all  idolatry,  augury,  and  'enchantment.  He  had 
no  shadow  of  superstition.  One  day  he  opened  the 
door  of  an  fnari*  shrine  and  substituted  a  large  stone 
for  the  image.  A  few  days  later,  he  was  pleased  to 
see  some  of  his  neighbors  come  and  pray  before  the 
imageless  shrine. 

During  his  childhood,  Yukichi  had  no  incli- 
nation to  study,  and  his  mother  would  not  urge  him 
to  do*  so.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  had  learned 
almost  nothing.  Then  he  began  deeply  to  regret 
the  years  spent  in  neglect  of  his  education.  Accord- 
ingly he  entered  a  private  school  in  the  country  and 
henceforth  studied  with  most  exemplary  diligence. 
Soon  he  was  known  as  a  bright  student,  and  his 
natural  talents  enabled  him  rapidly  to  outstrip  his 
fellow-students.  Afterward  we  find  him  studying  in 
*  the  Japanese  goddess  of  rice. 


II  PARENTAGE  AND  BOYJIOOJ).  it 

the  school  of  a  Chinese  scholar  of  some  repute  by 
the  name  of  Shiraishi.  He  attended  this  school 
about  five  years  and  during  that  time  he  made  a 
systematic  study  of  the  Chinese  classics  and  read 
most  Chinese  works  then  in  vogue.  Among  these, 
the  "  Ch'un  Ts'ew  "  or  "  Spring  and  Autumn  Annals" 
by  Confucius  was  his  greatest  favorite.  This  work, 
which  consists  of  many  volumes,  he  read  a  dozen 
times,  and  memorized  the  most  interesting  passages. 
Thus  he  became  a  good  Chinese  scholar.  Hence 
the  opposition  which  he  in  later  years  showed  to 
Confucianism  was  not  due  to  any  want  of  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Chinese  classics. 

There  were  in  Shiraishi's  school  two  poor 
students  who  supported  themselves  on  what  they 
earned  as  shampooers.  It  occurred  to  Vukichi  that 
this  art  of  shampooing  might  in  a  future  emergency 
be  made  a  means  of  self-support  by  him.  He  there- 
fore sought  from  his  fellow-students  instruction  in  it 
and  actually  became  a  fairly  good  shampooer. 

While  he  was  a  student,  Vukichi  contributed 
something  to  the  family  budget.  His  means  were 
earned  by  the  pursuit  of  some  subordinate  occupa- 
tions. At  first,  he  made  clogs  for  sale.  Later,  he 
lacquered  and  ornamented  the  sheath  and  hilt  of 


12  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHl  1-UKUZAWA.         CHAP. 

swords — an  art  which  he  had  learned  from  a  poor 
samurai  and  in  which  he  acquired  considerable  pro- 
ficiency. 


W 


CHAPTER      III. 
STUDIES  AT  NAGASAKI. 

MILE  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  studying  at  Shira- 
ishi's  school,  Japan  was  disturbed  by  an 
unexpected  event.  In  June,  1853  (the  sixth  year  of 
Kayei),  Commodore  Perry,  American  ambassador, 
visited  Uraga  with  a  fleet  and  sought  to  open  com- 
merciaj  relations  with  Japan.  The  Japanese  who  had 
lived  in  quiet  seclusion  from  the  outside  world  during 
the  two  centuries  of  the  Tokugawa  regime,  were  out  of 
measure  astonished  at  the  sudden  appearance  of  the 
American  men-of-war.  "  Black  ships  !"  was  echoed 
and  re-echoed  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  Empire.  Every  possible  preparation  against 
foreign  aggressions  was  undertaken  :  armies  were  en- 
larged ;  methods  of  military  drill  were  improved  ; 
gunnery  was  strenuously  studied  ;  bells  of  temples 
were  cast  into  cannon  ;  and  forts  were  constructed 
at  several  places. 

These  circumstances  incited   our  young  scholar 
to   the    determination  to   study    Dutch   in   order  to 


Ill  STUDIES  AT  NAGASAKI.  13 

find  access  to  Western  learning  and  to  gain  infor- 
mation about  affairs  in  foreign  countries.  The  reader 
must  bear  in  mind  that  since  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century  the  Dutch  and  the  Chinese  were 
the  only  foreigners  who  had  been  permitted  to  trade 
in  Japan  and  the  Dutch  language  was  the  only  me- 
dium for  acquiring  Western  learning.  For  the  pur- 
suit of  his  studies,  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  in  February,  185^ 
(the  first  year  of  Ansei),  when  he  was  in  his  twenty- 
first  year,  proceeded  to  Nagasaki,  where  the  only 
Dutch  settlement  in  Japan  existed  and  where  in  con- 
sequence were  found  many  facilities  for  the  study  of 
Dutch.  Since  Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  no  means  to  sup- 
port himself,  he  was  made  a  skokkakn*  to  Sojuro 
Yamamoto,  a  teacher  of  gunnery.  This  position  was 
secured  for  him  through  the  kindness  of  Iki 
Okudaira,  the  son  of  the  chief  official  of  his 
clan,  who  was  then  studying  gunnery  under  this 
teacher.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  served  his  master  in  many 
widely  different  capacities  :  as  secretary,  accountant, 
tutor  for  the  son,  and  sometimes  even  servant.  He 
performed  all  his  duties  so  faithfully  that  the  master 
placed  great  confidence  in  him  and  even  offered  to 

*  A  student  who  depends  on  another  person  for  support  and  who 
generally  renders  some  services  in  return. 


i4  A  UFE  01-  Mr.   YUKICHI FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

adopt  him  as  a  son.  During  his  spare  hours,  he 
eagerly  took  lessons  in  Dutch  under  several  scholars, 
a  certain  Narabayashi,  an  interpreter  in  Dutch,  and 
Osho  Ishikawa,  a  physician  of  the  Dutch  school, 
being  the  best  among  them.  But  each  of  these  men 
\vas  too  busy  with  his  own  profession  to  give  him 
regular  lessons  ;  consequently  no  small  amount  of 
Inconvenience  was  experienced  in  his  study.  Dutch 
was  found  so  difficult  that,  with  even  his  bright 
talents  and  untiring  perseverance,  he  required  three 
days  to  master  the  alphabet.  Nevertheless  his  sub- 
sequent study  resulted  in  rapid  progress. 

The  rapid  progress  which  Mr.  Fukuzawa  made 
in  learning  Dutch  excited  the  jealousy  of  his  friend 
Okudaira,  who  was  narrow-minded,  and  who  at  length 
managed  to  oblige  him  to  leave  Nagasaki.  Then 
Mr.  Fuku/.awa  decided  to  go  up  to  Yedo  (the  present 
Tokyo).  Me  raised  a  small  sum  by  disposing  of  a 
Dutch-Japanese  dictionary,  and  under  the  pretence 
of  returning  to  Nakatsu,  left  Nagasaki  for  Yedo  in 
March,  1855.  On  his  way  to  Yedo,  he  stopped  at 
Osaka  and  called  on  his  brother,  who  was  then  living 
in  the  granary  establishment,  with  the  object  of 
obtaining  pecuniary  help.  The  brothers  were,  after 
a  whole  year  of  separation,  much  delighted  to  see 


JV  STUDIES  AT  OSAKA.  15 

each  other.  The  younger  Fukuzawa  had  many  un- 
expected visitors.  The  woman  who  had  nursed  him 
in  his  infancy ;  the  woman  who  had  acted  the  part 
of  a  midwife  at  his  birth  ;  the  honest  servant  and 
many  old  friends  of  his  dead  father— all  these  kindly 
came  to  see  him.  Mis  heart  was  filled  with  joyous 
emotions  and  he  felt  as  if  he  had  returned  to  his 
home. 

CHAPTER     IV. 
STUDIES  AT  OSAKA. 

AS  Sannosuke  would  not  permit  him  to  proceed  to 
Ycdo,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  obliged  to  reside  for 
a  time  with  his  brother.  Soon  we  find  him  attending 
the  Dutch  school  of  Koan  Ogata  and  pursuing  his 
studies  with  diligence,  lie  quickly  won  a  position 
among  the  brightest  students,  and  Ogata  treated 
him  with  special  favor.  Unfortunately,  in  January 
of  the  following  year,  his  brother  became  afflicted 
with  rheumatism  and  gradually  grew  worse.  "  Mis- 
fortunes never  come  singly."  In  February  of  the 
same  year,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  undertook  to  nurse  an  in- 
timate friend  and  class-mate  through  an  attack  of 
typhoid  fever,  and  he  himself  became  inoculated  with 
the  germs.  Mis  recovery  was  slow,  and  for  some 


i  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKKHI FUKUZAWA.         CHAI>. 

time  the  state  of  his  health  was  such  that  he  could 
not  resume  his  studies.  Meanwhile  the  brother's 
affliction  became  serious,  and  moreover  his  term  of 
office  expired.  Hence  the  two  brothers  sought 
benefit  from  a  change  of  air,  and  together  they 
returned  to  their  home  in  Nakat.su.  After  three 
months'  stay  there,  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  health  wa.*- 
completely  restored.  As  his  brother  appeared  to  be 
on  a  fair  way  to  recovery,  he  proceeded  again  in 
August  to  Osaka.  Scarcely  had  he  resumed  his 
studies  at  Ogata's  school,  when  he  received  from 
home  a  letter  which  brought  the  news  of  his  broth- 
er's death  and  an  urgent  demand  for  his  quick 
return.  He  hastened  to  his  home.  The  mother, 
the  sisters,  and  the  relatives  were  stricken  with 
sorrow.  Yet  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  the  one  most  deeply 
affected  by  this  bereavement.  For,  in  addition  to 
his  great  personal  grief,  he  succeeded*  his  brother  as 
the  responsible  head  of  the  family.  Furthermore 
the  general  opinion  of  the  clan  was  extremely  un- 
favorable to  Western  learning  ;  and  all  Mr.  Fuku- 
/.awa's  friends,  relatives,  and  neighbors  were  strongly 

*  According  to  Japanese  custom,  the  eldest  living  son  succeeds  to 
the  family  estate  and  takes  the  place  of  his  father  as  responsible  head  of 
the  family. 


IV  STUDIES  AT  O  SAKA.  17 

opposed  to  his  going  to  Osaka  again.  He  could 
find  nobody  to  consult  about  his  plans,  except  his 
mother.  Eagerly  he  asked  her  permission  to  go  to 
Ogata's  school.  The  daughter  of  his  dead  brother, 
an  orphan  only  three  years  old,  was  in  her  care  ;  and 
his  sisters  were  already  married.  Thus  she  would 
feel  very  lonesome  without  her  son.  But  she  was  a 
strong-willed  woman  ;  and,  since  she  wished  her  son 
to  make  the  most  of  his  abilities,  she  willingly  con- 
sented to  his  request.  But  how  raise  travelling  ex- 
penses ?  Owing  to  the  expenses  connected  with  the 
brother's  illness,  the  family  had  already  incurred 
some  debt.  At  length,  it  was  decided  to  sell  over 
1500  volumes,  which  constituted  a  valued  library  of 
his  house,  several  valuable  curios  and  pieces  of  fur- 
niture. The  sum  thus  realized  was  sufficient  to  pay 
off  the  debt,  and  for  the  expenses  of  a  journey  to 
Osaka.  As  the  further  pursuit  of  his  plans  was  thus 
made  practicable,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  at  once  set  out  for 
Osaka. 

The  pluck,  persistence,  industry,  and  resource- 
fulness of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  are  strikingly  illustrated  by 
an  incident  which  occurred  at  this  time.  One  day 
during  his  stay  at  Nakatsu,  he  called  on  Iki  Okudaira 
who  was  then  in  the  town.  The  latter  showed  him 


i>  A  LIFE  OF  Mr,   YUKKHf  FUKUZAWA.         CHAP. 

a  new  Dutch  book  which  he  had  recently  bought  for 
twenty-three  dollars  at  Nagasaki.  It  was  a  work  on 
fortification  by  Pell  (?)  which  was  the  first  book  of 
the  kind  ever  seen  by  our  young  Dutch  scholar.  He 
wished  to  get  a  copy  of  this  book,  but  twenty-three 
dollars  was  far  beyond  his  means.  Okudaira  would 
not  lend  him  the  book  long  enough  for  him  to  read 
it.  He  gazed  at  the  book  for  a  time  and  silently  re- 
gretted his  poverty.  At  this  moment,  a  cunning  idea 
occurred  to  him.  "  This  is,  indeed,  a  good  book," 
said  he  to  Okudaira,  "  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to 
read  it  through  in  a  hurry  ;  I  wish  only  to  look  at 
the  table  of  contents  and  the  illustrations.  Will 
you  please  lend  it  to  me  for  a  few  days  ?"  Okudaira 
consented  to  his  request.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  left  with 
the  book  and  ran  to  his  house  in  triumph.  Imme- 
diately lie  began  to  copy  it  on  Japanese  paper  with 
a  quill  and  Japanese  ink.  By  hard  work  all  day  and 
late  into  the  night,  he  succeeded  hi  copying  the 
whole  volume  of  some  two  hundred  pages  in  about 
three  weeks.  In  order  to  prevent  either  waste  of  his 
time  or  a  report  of  his  proceeding  to  the  jealous 
owner  of  the  book,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  refused,  during  the 
entire  time,  to  receive  any  visitor.  As  soon  as  the 
work  was  finished,  he  returned  the  book  to  Okudaira 


IV  STUDIES  AT  OSAKA.  ig 

who  had  not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  the  use  that 
had  been  made  of  it. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  arrived  in  Osaka  in  November. 
Immediately  he  called  on  Ogata  who,  being  informed 
of  his  circumstances,  kindly  offered  to  support  him 
during  his  study.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  at  once  took  up 
residence  in  the  boarding-house  of  the  school.  He 
studied  so  diligently  that  he  never  spread*  a  bed .  for 
sleep.  When  his  brain  refused  to  comprehend,  he 
would  lean  upon  his  desk  and  take  a  nap.  When 
he  awoke,  regardless  of  the  hour,  he  resumed  his 
reading.  His  only  weakness  was  drinking  sakt\  He 
had  a  strong  fondness  for  drink.  Even  when  he  was 
a  small  child,  his  mother  found  that  the  only  plan  to 
keep  him  quiet  when  his  head  was  being  shaved  was 
to  promise  him  some  sakt.  At  Ogata's  school,  he 
indulged  this  propensity  whenever  the  opportunity 
was  presented.  In  all  other  respects,  his  conduct  was 
exemplary.  He  never  quarrelled  with  anyone.  He 
never  contracted  debt  nor  showed  any  laxity  of 
morals.  Before  he  had  been  long  at  Ogata's  school, 
considerable  progress  was  recognized  in  his  studies 

*  The  Japanese  bed  consists  of  futons  spread  on  the  soft  mats  of 
the  floor.  When  not  in  use,  the  futons  are  folded  and  put  away,  and 
the  apartment  has  no  appearance  of  a  bed-room 


10  I  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKlCai  FUKUZAWA.  CHAI-. 

and  he  was  made  liead-student.*  As  it  was  a  rule 
for  newcomers  to  present  a  certain  sum  to  the  head- 
.student,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  always  had  some  pocket- 
money  with  which  to  satisfy  his  craving  for  drink. 

Koan  Ogata,  who  was  by  profession  a  physician, 
was  a  well-known  Dutch  scholar.  His  school  had  an 
average  attendance  of  one  hundred  students,  most  of 
whom  were  sons  of  physicians.  The  boarding 
students  numbered  about  sixty.  Their  conduct 
outside  the  school  was  so  disreputable  that  the 
women  and  children  in  the  neighborhood  spoke 
of  them  with  disgust.  In  summer  they  were  lit- 
erally naked.  Except  in  class  and  at  meals,  they 
wore  no  garments.  In  their  habits,  they  were 
irregular  and  absolutely  neglectful  of  hygienic  con- 
siderations. Between  regular  meals,  they  cooked  food 
with  their  own  pans  and  konro.\  These  utensils 
usually  lay  about  their  desks.  Desks  and  wash-basins 
were  often  used  as  kitchen  utensils.  Disorderly  as 


*  It  was  formerly  a  custom  in  Japan  for  the  master  of  a  school 
to  select  the  student  who  was  best  in  character  and  acquirements  as  his 
assistant.  This  assistant  or  head-student  occupied  an  authoritative 
position  towards  the  other  students  of  the  school. 

+  Portable  earthen-ware  furnaces. 


IV  STUDIES  AT  OSAK.  .  21 

they  were  in  their  habits  and  manners,  they  were 
nevertheless,  as  a  rule,  hard  workers.  The  beginners 
were  taught  the  first  rudiments  of  the  Dutch  gram- 
mar by  means  of  two  books  reprinted  in  Yedo.  Ten 
books  on  natural  philosophy  and  medicine  constituted 
the  school  library.  As  soon  as  the  grammar  was 
mastered,  the  students  set  about  making  copies  of 
these  books  for  their  own  use.  Among  so  many 
candidates  for  the  privilege  of  copying  these  few 
books,  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  decide  their 
turns  by  lot.  As  there  was  no  foreign  paper  for  sale, 
they  wrote  on  glazed  Japanese  paper  with  Japanese 
ink  and  quills  of  their  own  make.  At  intervals  of 
four  or  five  days,  there  were  class  readings  of  these 
copied  books.  The  readings  were  presided  over  by 
either  the  head-student  or  by  the  best  student  of  the 
highest  class  ;  and  Ogata  now  and  then  gave  lessons 
only  to  the  highest  class.  These  were  the  only  times 
when  instruction  was  given.  In  their  study  hours  it 
was  a  point  of  honor  with  the  students  not  to  give  or 
receive  help  of  any  kind.  They  had  to  hammer  out 
the  meaning  of  their  text-books  by  themselves  as 
best  they  could.  They  had  no  other  help  than 
Zoof's(?)  Dutch- Japanese  Dictionary  and  Wei- 
land's  (?)  Dutch  Dictionary.  The  latter  being  all 


22  I  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUK1CHI FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

written  in  Dutch,  it  was  quite  beyond  the  under- 
standing of  beginners.  The  former  was  written  both 
in  Japanese  and  in  Dutch,  so  that  most  of  the 
students  consulted  this  dictionary.  On  the  night 
previous  to  the  day  for  reading,  even  the  laziest 
student  sat  up  all  night  with  his  book  ;  and  a  number 
of  students  were  always  found  in  the  "Zoof's  Room," 
as  it  was  called,  referring  to  this  dictionary  in  pro- 
found silence. 

Chemistry  had  a  great  attraction  for  the  students. 
They  were  always  making  experiments  with  the  most 
primitive  and  inadequate  means.  They  succeeded  in 
plating  iron  with  zinc.  An  attempt  to  make  iodine 
was  a  failure.  They  distilled  ammonia  out  of  bones 
and  horse's  hoofs  ;  but  the  stench  was  so-horrible 
that  the  experiment  had  to  be  removed  from  the 
school  to  the  courtyard  and  from  the  courtyard  to  a 
boat  on  the  river.  They  eagerly  dissected  dogs,  cats, 
and  the  corpses  of  criminals,  whenever  the  oppor- 
tunity offered. 

The  Lord  of  Chikuzen  once  called  at  Osaka  on 
his  way  to  Yedo  and  stayed  three  days.  Ogata 
waited  upon  him  and  borrowed  a  book  from  him 
with  the  promise  to  return  it  before  his  departure. 
Ogata  brought  it  to  his  house  and  showed  it  to  Mr. 


IV  STL'DfES  AT  OSAA'l.  23 

Fukuzawa.  The  book  was  a  Dutch  translation  of  a 
new  work  by  Faraday,  the  famous  English  scien- 
tist. One  section  of  the  work  was  a  treatise  on 
electricity.  This  subject  was  treated  with  minuteness 
of  detail.  Many  new  theories  were  also  presented  in 
the  work.  The  text-books  in  the  school  treated 
only  the  elements  of  physics,  and  the  students  had 
little  knowledge  of  electricity.  Consequently  this 
work  excited  the  interest  of  Mr.  Fuku/.awa,  who  was 
very  anxious  to  devour  the  contents.  But  it  had  to 
be  returned  to  the  owner  within  three  days  and  it 
was  a  large  volume  of  about  one  thousand  pages 
He  took  the  book  to  his  fellow-students  and  con- 
sulted them  about  what  should  be  done  with  it. 
They  decided  to  make  a  copy  of  the  section  on 
electricity  which  appeared  to  be  the  most  interesting. 
Thus  all  the  students,  each  in  his  turn,  set  about 
copying  it.  The  part  which  they  desired  to  copy 
contained  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  pages.  In 
three  days  of  constant  hard  work  the  task  was 
accomplished.  On  the  night  when  the  Lord  of 
Chikuxen  was  about  to  depart,  they  took  leave  of  the 
book  as  if  they  were  separating  from  a  dear  friend. 
From  that  time,  electricitv  was  studied  much  more 


24  A  l.II-E  (>!••  Mr.   YUKICHl  FUKUZAWA.          CUAI-. 

successfully  than   before  ;   and  the  students  had  no 
equals  in  Japan  in  knowledge  of  electricity. 

There  were  then  one  or  two  Dutch  schools  in 
Yedo,  but  Ogata's  students  might  rightly  claim  the 
distinction  of  being  the  best  Dutch  scholars  in  the 
Empire. 

CHAPTER  V. 
DIFFICULTIES  OF  LEARNING  ENGLISH. 

IN  1858  (the  fifth  year  of  Ansei),  Mr.  Fukuzawa  re- 
ceived a  summons  from  the  authorities  of  his  clan 
to  go  up  to  Yedo  in  order  to  open  a  Dutch  school 
there.  In  October  he  left  Ogata's  school  and 
proceeded  to  Yedo.  There  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  the  mansion  of  his  clan  at  Teppozu  (the  present 
Tsukiji).  Soon  after,  he  opened  at  his  home  a  school 
in  which  he  taught  a  few  young  sons  of  his  clansmen 
and  a  few  students  from  other  clans.  As  compensa- 
tion, he  received  a  moderate  salary  from  his  clan. 

While  he  was  studying  at  the  Ogata  School, 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  used  to  look  down  with  scorn  on  the 
Dutch  scholars  in  Yedo;  but  now  that  he  had 
become  a  teacher  of  Dutch,  his  vanity  failed  him 
and  he  could  not  rest  contented  until  he  sounded 
their  actual  scholarship.  From  this  motive,  he  often 


V  DIFFICULTIES  OF  LEARNING  ENGLISH.  25 

asked  them  the  explanation  of  difficult  passages  in 
his  Dutch  books.  These  passages  he  himself  under- 
stood quite  well  but  he  frequently  found  that  they 
could  not  explain  them.  One  day  he  called  on 
Teiho  Shimamura,  a  Dutch  scholar  of  some  celebrity. 
Shimamura  showed  Mr.  Fukuzawa  a  Dutch  work  on 
physiology  which  he  was  then  in  the  course  of 
translating  and  said  that  a  passage  in  it  was  quite 
beyond  his  comprehension,  adding  that  it  had 
stumbled  several  of  his  friends.  "  Well,"  said  Mr. 
Fuku/.awa,  "  I  will  try  to  make  out  the  meaning." 
At  first  sight  the  passage  seemed  quite  beyond  his 
understanding,  but  after  much  intense  thought,  he 
succeeded,  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  own  vanity,  in 
deciphering  its  meaning.  This  little  incident  freed 
him  from  further  apprehension  that  the  Yedo  scholars 
might  be  his  superiors  in  Dutch. 

In  July,  1859  (the  sixth  year  of  Ansei),  in 
pursuance  of  treaties  of  amity  and  commerce  con- 
cluded the  previous  year  with  the  United  States, 
England,  the  Netherlands,  France,  and  Russia, 
Yokohama  was  opened  to  foreign  trade.  In  order  to 
test  the  practical  value  of  his  knowledge  of  Dutch, 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  sought  an  early  opportunity  to  visit 
the  foreign  settlement  at  Yokohama.  In  the  space 


26  /   /.//••/•:  ( >/•'  Mr.    \  'I  Vv'A  7//  /•/  7v7  V..  ilf.i  CHAP. 

of  twenty-four  hours  he  walked  there  and  back — forty 
miles  in  all — returning  weary  and  footsore.  That, 
however,  was  nothing  when  compared  with  his 
depression  at  finding  that  the  Dutch,  which  he  had 
so  laboriously  acquired,  was  of  no  practical  use  to 
him.  At  Yokohama  he  saw  many  stores  kept  by 
foreigners.  He  called  at  some  of  the  stores  and 
addressed  the  shopkeepers  in  Dutch.  But  they  did 
not  understand  him  nor  could  he  understand  what 
they  said.  He  could  not  even  read  the  sign-boards 
over  the  stores  or  the  labels  on  the  bottles  inside. 
On  inquiring  he  found  that  the  language  spoken  there 
was  English — a  language  so  extensively  spoken  in 
the  world  that  it  might  almost  be  called  international. 
On  his  return  to  Yedo,  he  was  much  discouraged  to 
think  that,  if  he  desired  to  maintain  his  standing  as 
a  scholar  who  was  familiar  with  Western  learning,  it 
would  be  necessary  for  him  to  devote  to  learning 
English  as  much  time  and  energy  as  he  had  already 
expended  on  Dutch.  But  his  was  not  a  nature  that 
yields  to  discouragement.  On  that  very  day  he 
determined  to  learn  English.  But  how  accomplish 
this  purpose?  There  \vas  in  Yedo  no  scholar  who 
taught  English.  For  some  time,  he  was  at  a  loss 
what  to  do.  At  last  he  was  delighted  to  learn  that 


V  DIFFICULTIES  Of''  LEARNING  ENGLISH.  27 

a  certain  Moriyama  from  Nagasaki,  an  interpreter  in 
English,  was  then  engaged  in  the  service  of  the 
Bakufu*  to  assist  in  making  treaties  with  foreign 
nations.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  called  on  him  to  beg  his 
instruction  in  English.  The  interpreter  assented,  but 
he  was  so  busy  with  his  public  duties  that  he  could 
find  only  a  little  time  early  in  the  morning  and  late 

% 

in  the  evening,  before  and  after  his  hours  in  the 
Foreign  Department.  At  the  specified  times  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  walked  from  Teppozu  to  Moriyama's 
residence  in  Koishikawa — a  distance  of  about  five 
miles  each  way — during  two  or  three  months  ;  but 
almost  every  time  he  called  some  unexpected  event 
prevented  Moriyama  from  teaching  him. 

Thus  disappointed  in  his  effort  to  learn  from  a 
teacher  of  English,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  decided  to  proceed 
without  the  aid  of  a  teacher.  For  this  purpose  he 
proposed  to  use  two  small  books — partly  in  Dutch, 
partly  in  English — which  he  had  purchased  at 
Yokohama.  In  addition,  he  had  need  of  an  English- 
Dutch  dictionary.  But  neither  in  Yedo  nor  in 
Yokohama  could  such  a  dictionary  be  purchased. 

*  The  government  of  the  shogun ;  'curtain  government' :  so 
called  decause  the  shogun's  quarters  in  camp  were  screened  off  by  a 
curtain. 


A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKfCHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

He  heard  that  students  of  the  Jians/w  Sliirabcsho, 
a  government  school  where  Western  sciences  were 
taught,  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  using  many  kinds 
of  foreign  dictionaries  contained  in  the  library  of 
the  school.  With  the  hope  of  borrowing  there  an 
English-Dutch  dictionary,  he  immediately  secured 
admittance  to  the  school.  To  his  great  disappoint- 
ment, he  was  refused  permission  to  take  the 
dictionary  home.  Deeming  it  unprofitable  to  walk 
daily  from  Teppozu  to  Kudan  where  the  Banslio 
WiirabesJio  was  located  merely  to  consult  the  dic- 
tionary, he  on  the  very  first  day  abandoned  the  idea 
of  attending  the  school. 

After  the  failure  of  these  plans,  he  asked  the 
clan  authorities  to  buy  him  a  pronouncing  English- 
Dutch  dictionary  in  two  volumes  at  the  cost  of  five 
dollars;  and  having  secured  the  dictionary,  he  began, 
\vithout  the  aid  of  a  personal  teacher, 'most  assiduous- 
ly to  study  English.  As  he  thought  that  it  might 
encourage  him  to  have  one  or  two  fellow-students,  he 
tried  to  persuade  his  friends  Kohei  Kanda  and 
Masujiro  Omura  to  join  him  in  his  study  of  English, 
but  in  vain.  Nevertheless  he  found  an  earnest  fellow- 
student  in  Keisuke  Harada  who  had  also  perceived 
the  necessity  of  learning  English.  With  the  help  of 


VI  FIRST  VISIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.  29 

the  English-Dutch  dictionary  mentioned  above,  they 
could  with  relative  ease  translate  the  sense  ;  but  the 
pronunciation  was,  as  we  may  well  imagine,  ex- 
tremely difficult.  Various  expedients  were  adopted, 
in  order  to  obtain  instruction  in  pronunciation. 
Once  they  had  for  instructor  in  pronunciation  a 
young  boy  from  Nagasaki  who  had  some  knowledge 
of  English.  Occasionally  men  who  had  by  shipwreck 
been  obliged  to  spend  many  years  in  foreign 
countries  would  come  home  to  Japan.  The  zealous 
scholars  were  sure  to  call  on  them  in  order  to  get 
hints  on  English  pronunciation.  Thus  Mr.  Fuku- 
x.awa  gradually  improved  his  English  pronunciation. 
Throughout  his  study  of  English,  he  found  that  his 
Dutch  acquirements  were  of  far  greater  use  to  him 
than  he  had  expected. 

CHAPTER     VI. 
FIRST  VISIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

A  golden  opportunity  for  improving  his  English 
was  finally  presented  to  our  zealous  scholar.  In 
December,  1859  (tne  sixth  year  °f  Ansei),  the 
Tokugawa  Government  decided  to  send  envoys  to 
the  United  States  for  the  twofold  purpose  of  ratify- 
ing the  previously  arranged  treaties  and  observing 


30  .//,//•/•:  01-  Mr.    )TA7CV//  /-TA7 //.///'./.  CHAP. 

economic,  political  and  social  conditions  in  America. 
\iimi  Scttsu-no-Kami,  tiugyo*  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
and  two  other  high  officials  were  appointed  for  the 
mission.  The  envoys  and  their  suite  were  to  go  in 
the  Poivliattan,  a  warship  sent  by  the  United  States 
Government  for  their  transportation.  The  Kanrin 
Marn,  a  man-of-war  of  the  Bakufu,  was  to  make  her 
trial  trip  as  an  escort  of  the  Poivhattan.  The 
Kanrin  Marn  was  a  small  ship  of  100  horse-power 
which,  two  or  three  years  before,  had  been  bought 
for  $  25,000  from  the  Netherlands.  She  could 
utilize  steam  power  only  when  entering  or  leaving 
port  and  used  sails  during  voyage.  Kimura  Settsu- 
no-Kami,  Hugyo  of  Warships,  was  appointed  her 
captain.  The  crew  numbered  ninety-five,  among 
whom  were  found  Rintaro  Katsu  (the  late  Count 
Katsu)  as  commander  and  Manjiro  Nakahama  as 
interpreter.  This  voyage  of  the  Kanrin  MariL  was  a 
very  bold  undertaking,  considering  the  fact  that  the 
Japanese  had  seen  steamers  for  the  first  time  in  1853 
and  that  not  until  two  years  later  had  officers  of  the 
Tokugawa  Government  begun  to  learn  the  art  of 

*  Bujyo  were  officials  of  various  grades  and  duties  under  the 
feudal  government.  There  were  three  or  four  bu^\d  in  the  Foreign 
Department. 


VI  FIKST  I' /SIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.  31 

navigation.  Tlie  report  of  this  undertaking  speedily 
spread  about  the  whole  city  of  Yedo.  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa  could  no  longer  stay  quietly  in  his  study. 
Having  got  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Capt.  Kimura, 
he  watted  upon  him  and  offered  his  services  as  an 
attendant.  Somewhat  to  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  surprise, 
his  offer  was  immediately  accepted.  The  voyage  to 
foreign  lands,  it  is  evident,  was  then  generally 
regarded  with  so  much  aversion  that  few  persons 
would  volunteer  for  such  services. 

The  Kanrin  Maru  weighed  anchor  in  January, 
1 860  (the  first  year  of  Banyen) ;  and  after  a  voyage 
of  thirty-seven  days,  safely  reached  her  destination. 
During  the  voyage,  she  experienced  very  stormy 
weather,  lost  two  boats,  and  ran  short  of  water. 
Many  of  the  crew  were  seasick.  Commander  Katsu 
was  one  of  the  sufferers  and  was  confined  to  his 
cabin  during  the  entire  voyage.  Most  of  the 
captain's  attendants  were  also  ill.  But  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
remained  quite  well  and  gave  active  help  to  his 
master.  As  soon  as  the  Kanrin  Maru  reached  San 
Francisco,  distinguished  men  of  the  city  came  to  the 
ship  to  congratulate  the  Japanese  on  their  successful 
voyage.  Presently  a  salute  was  fired  on  shore. 
The  Japanese  officers  proposed  to  fire  in  return. 


32  ./   UI-'E  Ol<  Mr.   YUKKttr  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

Commander  Katsu  said,  "Ten  to  one,  \ve  shall  fail 
to  fire.  Let  us  give  up  the  idea."  "  Oh,  no  !  ," 
said  Sasakura,  chief  engineer,  "  It  is  not  difficult  to 
fire.  Let  me  try."  "  Nonsense  !  1  will  bet  my  life 
on  your  failure,"  said  Katsu.  The  engineer  became 
excited  and  persisted  in  carrying  out  his  idea.  Im- 
mediately a  cannon  was  cleaned  and  loaded.  To  his 
triumph  and  to  the  mortification  of  Katsu,  he 
succeeded  in  firing  a  return  salute. 

The  Americans  showed  the  Japanese  the  utmost 
hospitality.  The  Americans  provided  free  quatiers 
for  them  on  shore  and  docked  and  repaired  their 
ship  free  of  charge.  Every  thing  of  interest  that  San 
Francisco  afforded  was  freely  shown  them.  They 
were  taken  to  manufactories  at  different  places  and 
were  struck  with  wonder  and  admiration  at  the  in- 
genuity of  the  machinery.  Every  thing  they  saw  was 
quite  novel  and  wonderful  to  them.  They  were 
amazed  to  see  vehicles  drawn  by  horses  ;  and  it  was 
only  after  several  minutes  of  study  that  they  were 
able  to  understand  the  use  of  the  carriages.  They 
were  often  invited  to  dinner  at  large  hotels.  When 
they  arrived  for  the  first  time  at  a  hotel,  they  were 
surprised  to  find  that  the  floor  of  the  room  was 
covered  with  beautiful  carpet.  Such  carpet  only 


vi          FIRST  vrsrT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES,         33 

Japanese  of  luxurious  life  could  afford,  and  even 
then  merely  in  the  form  of  small  pieces  made  into 
tobacco  pouches  or  purses.  They  were  still  more 
surprised  to  see  the  Americans  walk  on  the  carpet 
with  dirty  shoes  ;  and  it  was  with  some  hesitation 
that  they  dared  walk  on  it  with  sandals.  To  the 
Americans  also,  the  Japanese,  wearing  haori*  and 
hakama  f,  two  swords  and  sandals,  and  with  their 
hair  tied  up  in  top-knots,  presented  a  very  strange 
and  picturesque  appearance.  Presently  many  bottles 
were  brought  in  and  when  they  were  uncorked  a 
strange  hissing  sound  was  heard.  To  each  of  the 
guests  a  glass  of  Champagne  was  served.  There  was 
something  transparent  floating  in  the  wine.  It 
being  a  warm  April  day,  the  Japanese  could  not 
guess  what  it  was.  Some  of  them  ventured  to  take 
the  floating  substance  into  their  mouths,  and,  finding 
it  to  be  too  cold,  at  once  spit  it  out.  Others  gnawed 
it  awkwardly.  Strange  as  it  seemed  to  them,  it  was 
only  ice.  They  started  with  terror  at  sight  of  a 
turkey  and  a  pig  cooked  whole.  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  as 
well  as  the  rest,  made  some  blunders.  Once,  after 
lighting  his  pipe  from  a  stove,  he  wrapped  the  ashes 

*  A  kind  of  coat. 

t  Loose  trowsers  with  many  foldi  in  the  front. 


34  A  UFE  OF  Mr.  YVKICHI  FUtfUZAWA.  CHAP. 

in  a  piece  of  paper  and  put  the  paper  into  his  pocket. 
He  was  about  to  smoke  another  pipe,  when,  to  his 
great  surprise,  smoke  issued  from  the  pocket.  He 
then  found  that  the  paper  had  taken  fire  from  sparks 
that  had  remained  in  the  ashes. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  seized  every  opportunity  for  im- 
proving his  English.  He  and  Nakahama  the  inter- 
preter each  brought  back  to  Japan  a  Webster's 
Dictionary,  the  first  copies  of  that  work  ever  im- 
ported. His  knowledge  of  Western  things  was  greatly 
extended  ;  but  his  observation  was  limited  to  the 
manners,  customs,  and  material  things,  to  the  neglect 
of  the  political,  social  and  economic  conditions. 

Their  mission  finished,  the  Japanese  left  the 
land  of  wonders  ;  and,  calling  at  Hawaii  en  route, 
they,  in  May  of  the  same  year,  returned,  after  a 
peaceful  voyage. 

During  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  stay  in  America,  some 
disagreeable  rumors  concerning  him  had  arisen  among 
the  people  of  his  native  town  Nakatsu.  One  of  his 
relatives  even  said  to  his  mother,  "  I  am  very  sorry 
to  hear  of  the  unfortunate  death  of  your  son  in 
America.  They  say  his  body  is  salted  and  brought 
back  to  Yedo."  Naturally  such  rumors  caused  great 
anxiety  to  his  lonely  mother. 


VI  FIRST  VISIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.  35 

On  his  return  to  Japan,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  resumed 
his  teaching.  Now,  however,  he  taught  English  in- 
stead of  Dutch.  Still  he  could  not  yet  readily  under- 
stand English  books.  Consequently,  in  addition  to 
teaching  his  students,  he,  with  the  aid  of  his  English- 
Dutch  dictionary,  set  himself  assiduously  to  study 
English.  The  number  of  his  pupils  rapidly  increased. 
In  this  year,  he  published  his  first  work,  "  Vocabulary 
and  Phrases  in  English,  Chinese,  and  Japanese."  Soon 
he  was  employed  by  the  Foreign  Office  of  the  Bakufu 
to  translate  foreign  dispatches.  As  there  were  very 
few  Japanese  who  could  read  or  write  English  or 
French,  it  was  customary  for  ministers  and  consuls  of 
foreign  powers,  in  communicating  with  the  Bakufu 
authorities,  to  add  Dutch  translations  to  their  official 
dsipatches.  It  was  chiefly  for  translating  these  Dutch 
translations,  rather  than  the  original  language,  that 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  employed.  His  official  duties  afford- 
ed many  facilities  for  improving  his  English.  He 
tried  to  translate  the  foreign  dispatches  directly  from 
the  original  English  without  looking  at  the  Dutch, 
and  only  when  he  encountered  very  difficult  passages 
would  he  consult  the  Dutch.  This  method  contrib- 
uted much  to  his  progress  in  English.  There  were 
In  the  Foreign  Office  many  kinds  of  English  books. 


36  A  LIPE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

These  he  very  eagerly  read. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  took  place  at 
this  period.  In  1861,  when  he  was  in  his  twenty- 
eighth  year,  he  married  a  girl  of  seventeen  years,  Kin 
by  name,  the  second  daughter  of  Tarohachi  Doki,  a 
samurai  of  his  clan.  Three  years  later,  their  eldest 
son,  Mr.  Ichitaro,  was  born. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

FOREIGN  POLICY  OF  THE  TOKUGAWA 
GOVERNMENT. 

AN  exposition  of  the  later  career  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
requires  a  preliminary  review  of  the  course  of 
events  connected  with  the  foreign  policy  of  the  Toku- 
gawa  Government.  As  already  stated  in  the  third 
chapter,  in  1853,  Commodore  Perry,  American  ambas- 
sador, came  with  a  fleet  to  Uraga,  with  the  object  of 
arranging  a  commercial  treaty  between  Japan  and 
the  United  States.  For  this  purpose  he  bore  a  docu- 
ment addressed  to  the  Shogun  in  which  his  govern- 
ment expressed  its  request.  After  a  short  stay,  he 
left  Japan  promising  to  come  in  the  following  year  for 
a  reply.  The  government  of  the  Shogun  was  in  great 
perplexity  about  the  problem  thus  created.  Copies 
of  the  American  letter  were  sent  to  all  the  daimyos  * 
*A  daimy6  was  the  feudal  chief  of  a  clan. 


VII  FOREIGN  POLICY.  37 

to  ask  their  opinions  concerning  the  course  to  be 
pursued.  They  immediately  sent  in  answers  and 
almost  unanimously  declared  against  the  opening  of 
the  country.  The  government  hurried  forward  de- 
fensive preparations.  The  military  men  from  various 
clans  flocked  to  Yedo  and  Kyoto  with  the  expecta 
tion  that  they  would  be  called  upon  to  defend  their 
country  against  the  impudent  intrusion  of  foreigners. 

Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the  American 
squadron  from  Uraga,  English,  Dutch,  and  Russian 
vessels  came  to  Japan  on  missions  similar  to  that  of 
the  Americans.  In  February,  1854,  Commodore 
Perry  made  his  appearance  a  second  time  in  Yedo 
Bay  with  a  fleet  of  ten  fully  armed  vessels,  compris- 
ing such  an  array  as  had  never  before  appeared  in 
Japanese  waters.  After  much  deliberation  and 
discussion,  proposals  and  amendments,  banquets  and 
presents,  a  convention  between  Japan  and  the  United 
States  was  agreed  upon,  providing  for  the  relief  of 
ships  and  sailors.  During  the  two  years  following, 
similar  conventions  were  concluded  also  with  England, 
Russia,  and  the  Netherlands. 

These  dealings  with  foreign  nations  produced 
the  most  intense  excitement  throughout  the  Empire. 
The  old  sentiment  of  hostility  to  foreign  intercourse 


38  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUfCICfff  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

showed  itself  in  unmistakable  intensity.  The  song 
of  the  "  Black  Ships  "  was  heard  everywhere.  Two 
distinct  parties  came  into  existence,  one  of  which 
wished  to  expel  the  "  barbarians,  "  as  the  foreigners 
were  called  by  them,  and  the  other  were  in  favor  of 
opening  the  country.  The  members  of  the  latter 
party  were  principally  connected  with  the  Shogun's 
government  and  had  become  impressed  with  the 
folly  of  trying  to  resist  the  pressure  of  the  outside 
world.  The  exclusion  party  was  made  up  of  the 
conservative  elements  in  the  country,  who  clung  to 
the  old  traditions  of  Japan  that  had  matured  during 
the  two  centuries  of  the  Tokugawa  rule.  Besides 
these  conservatives,  there  was  also  a  party  composed 
of  men  who  nourished  a  traditional  dislike  for  the 
Tokugawa  family.  These  men  were  glad  to  see  the 
Tokugawa  family  involved  in  difficulties  which  were 
sure  to  overthrow  it.  These  were  chiefly  found 
among  the  southwestern  daiinyos,  such  as  Satsuma, 
Choshu,  Hizen,  and  Tosa.  The  lord  of  Mito. 
although  connected  with  the  Shogun's  family,  was 
bitterly  hostile  to  the  policy  of  holding  any  friendly 
relations  with  foreigners.  He  was,  therefore,  regarded 
as  the  head  of  the  exclusion  party,  and  many  of 


VII  FOREIGN  POLICY.  39 

the  disaffected  samurai  rallied  about  him  as  their 
champion  and  leader. 

In  execution  of  one  provision  of  the  convention, 
the  United  States  government,  in  1856,  sent  Townsend 
Harris  as  consul-general  to  Japan.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  patience  and  tact,  and  gradually  worked  his 
way  into  the  confidence  of  the  Japanese  govern- 
ment. He  became  the  counsellor  and  educator 
of  the  officials  in  everything  pertaining  to  foreign 
affairs.  The  principal  effort  of  Harris  was  the 
negotiation  of  a  commercial  treaty  which  should 
make  provision  for  the  conduct  of  trade  in  specified 
ports  of  Japan. 

Baron  Hotta,  who  was  now  at  the  head  of  the 
Shogun's  cabinet,  drafted  a  treaty  of  amity  and  com- 
merce ;  and  sent  a  representation  to  the  Imperial 
court  of  Kyoto  in  December,  1857,  stating  the 
difficulty  of  exclusion  and  asking  for  the  Emperor's 
sanction  to  the  proposed  treaty.  But  the  Emperor 
Komei  was  a  great  hater  of  foreigners  and  much 
influenced  by  the  exclusion  party.  Hence  he 
strongly  opposed  the  liberal  policy  of  the  Bakufu. 
No  answer  came  even  in  January  of  the  following 
year.  Pressed  on  one  side  by  Harris,  and  urged  on 
the  other  side  by  his  anxiety  for  his  country,  Baron 


4o  ./  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

Hotta  now  went  in  person  to  the  Imperial  court. 
There  he  did  his  best  to  explain  the  impossibility  of 
adhering  to  the  old  tradition,  but  the  influence  of  the 
opposing  party  could  not  be  overcome  by  him. 

Thus  the  question  of  making  the  treaty  had 
reached  the  climax  of  difficulty.  None  but  a  master- 
mind could  solve  this  problem.  Thereupon  the 
Shogun  appointed  li  Kamon-no-Kami,  the  lord  of 
Hikone,  to  the  responsible  office  of  Tairo*  He  was 
a  man  of  rare  abilities  and  great  resolution  and  was 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  pro-foreign  policy.  On 
his  appointment  as  Tairo,  he  dispatched  a  special 
message  to  Kyoto  for  the  Imperial  sanction  of  the 
treaty.  Just  at  this  juncture,  two  American  men- 
of-war  came  to  Shimoda  and  one  of  them  proceeded 
up  the  Bay  of  Yedo.  This  news  was  immediately 
followed  by  a  message  reporting  an  arrival  of  Russian 
warships  and  saying  also  that  they  were  soon  to  be 
followed  by  English  and  French  squadrons  which 
had  been  victorious  in  their  war  with  China.  Town- 
send  Harris  pointed  out  .to  the  Bakufu  the  impossi- 
bility of  exclusion,  and  the  danger  attending 

*  Tiiird  literally  means  Great  Elder,  and  may  be  translated  President- 
Senator-  A  Taird  was  to  be  appointed  in  times  of  great  urgency  only 
and  his  authority  was  dictatorial. 


VII  FOREIGN  POLICY.  41 

adherence  to  the  traditional  policy.  Thinking  that 
waiting  for  the  Imperial  sanction  might  bring 
irreparable  disasters  upon  Japan,  li  Kamon-no-Kami 
decided  to  assume  the  entire  responsibility  himself 
and  at  last  signed  the  treaty  in  July,  1858. 
Similar  treaties  were  concluded  also  with  England, 
Russia,  and  the  Netherlands  in  the  following  month 
and  with  France  in  October.  These  treaties  provid- 
ed for  immediately  opening  Hakodate,  Yokohama, 
and  Nagasaki,  and  fixed  dates  for  the  opening  of 
Hyogo  and  Niigata.  During  the  following  ten 
years,  similar  treaties  were  concluded  also  with  other 
nations. 

The  moment  the  conclusion  of  the  treaties  was 
made  public,  the  anti-foreign  party  began  to  show 
an  increased  vehemence  in  their  opposition.  It  was 
charged  against  the  Shogun  that  in  making  the 
treaties  without  the  Imperial  sanction  he  had  gone 
beyond  his  proper  power.  He  was  not  the  sovereign 
of  Japan  and  never  had  been.  He  was  only  the 
chief  executive  under  the  Emperor.  It  was  impossi- 
ble, therefore,  that  the  treaties  made  by  the  Shogun 
and  not  ratified  by  his  sovereign  should  be  regarded 
by  the  Japanese  as  legitimate  and  binding.  Then  li 
Kamon-no-Kami  sought  to  crush  the  opposition 


42  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP- 

which  assailed  his  policy.  The  lord  of  Mito  who 
was  the  head  of  the  anti-foreign  party  was  compelled 
to  resign  and  was  condemned  to  confinement  in  his 
private  provincial  palace.  Numerous  other  persons 
who  had  busied  themselves  interfering  with  his 
schemes  and  promoting  opposition  in  Kyoto,  li 
also  imprisoned. 

In  March,  1860,  li  was  assassinated  by  eighteen 
ronins*  of  Mito  who  wished  to  avenge  the  imprison- 
ment of  their  prince.  His  death  was  an  irreparable 
blow  to  the  Tokugawa  Government.  There  was  no 
one  who  could  successfully  assume  his  role. 

The  outrages  which  now  succeeded  each  other 
with  terrible  frequency  were  not  confined  to  the 
native  members  of  the  opposing  parties.  Foreigners, 
who  were  so  essentially  the  cause  of  the  political 
disturbances  in  Japan,  were  particularly  exposed  to 
attacks.  In  January,  1861,  Heusken,  the  secretary  and 
interpreter  of  the  American  legation,  was  attacked 
by  armed  assassins  and  mortally  wounded.  In  the 
July  following,  the  British  legation  was  attacked 
by  some  ronins  of  Mito  and  Oliphant,  the  secretary 

*It  was  an  old  feudal  custom  that,  whenever  the  retainers  of  a  Jaimijo 
wished  to  avenge  any  act  without  committing  their  lord,  they  withdrew 
from  his  service  and  became  ronins  which  means  masterless  men. 


VIII  VISIT  TO  EUROPE.  43 

of  the  legation,  and  Morrison,  British  consul  at 
Nagasaki,  were  severely  wounded.  The  foreign 
powers  urged  the  Bakufu  to  take  measures  against 
such  outrages,  but  it  had  almost  no  control  over  these 
lawless  ronins. 


CHAPTER     VIII. 
VISIT  TO  EUROPE. 

THE  anti-foreign  sentiment  began  to  show  itself 
in  the  assassination  of  foreigners.  If,  according 
to  the  terms  of  the  treaties,  the  ports  of  Hyogo  and 
Niigata  had  been  opened  at  this  time,  the  lives  of 
foreigners  would  have  been  exposed  to  still  greater 
danger.  In  view  of  these  alarming  difficulties,  the 
Tokugawa  Government  decided  to  send  envoys  to 
Europe  to  ask  for  the  postponement  of  the  dates  for 
opening  these  ports  and  for  establishing  certain  con- 
cessions in  Yedo  and  Osaka.  Takenouchi  and  two 
other  high  officials  of  the  Foreign  Department  were 
appointed  for  the  mission.  Their  suite,  about  thirty- 
five  in  number,  included  three  interpreters,  three 
translators,  and  two  physicians  of  the  Chinese  school. 
Genichiro  Fukuchi,  who  is  now  a  famous  dramatist, 
was  one  of  the  interpreters.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was 


44  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKU2AWA.  CHAP. 

among   the  translators,    the   others   being    Munenori 
Terashima  and  Shuhyo  Mitsukuri. 

Besides  his  travelling  expenses,  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
received  from  the  government  four  hundred  dollars, 
the  largest  sum  that  had  ever  found  its  way  into  his 
purse.  He  sent  one  hundred  dollars  of  this  to  his 
aged  mother  at  Nakatsu,  and  spent  the  rest  in 
London  purchasing  English  books. 

In  December,  1861  (the  first  year  of  Bunkyu), 
the  envoys  and  suite  left  Japan  in  a  British  warship 
which  had  been  sent  to  convey  them  to  Flurope. 
Supposing  that  European  food  would  hot  suit  their 
taste,  they  took  with  them  hundreds  of  boxes  of  rice. 
For  their  accommodation  at  hotels,  they  also  took 
dozens  of  large  metal  lanterns,  various  hand-lamps 
and  candles.  Dressed  in  haori  and  Jiakaina,  they 
each  carried  two  swords,  while  their  hair  was  tied  up 
in  top-knots.  How  odd  all  this  must  have  seemed 
to  the  citizens  of  London  and  Paris  ! 

After  calling  at  Hongkong  and  Singapore,  the 
ship  landed  its  passengers  at  Suez,  whence  they 
crossed  to  Cairo.  With  their  hearts  set  upon  the 
European  capitals,  they  crossed  the  Mediterranean 
and  landed  at  Marseilles.  Hastening  on  to  Paris, 


Mr.  Fukuzawa  in  1862. 
(From  a  photograph  taken  at  the  Hague,)- 


VIII  VISIT  TO  EUROPE.  45 

they  stayed  there  twenty  days.  They  then  visited 
in  turn  London,  the  Hague,  Berlin,  St.  Petersburg, 
and  Lisbon. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  party  in  Paris,  some 
French  officials  came  to  meet  them.  After  greet- 
ings were  mutually  exchanged,  the  envoys  said  to 
the  officials,  "  We  have  a  large  party  and  a  great 
deal  of  baggage.  We  hope  that  you  will  allow  our 
attendants  to  lodge  near  us."  The  French  officials 
promised  to  make  such  arrangements  and  inquired 
how  many  there  were.  When  they  heard  the  num- 
ber, they  said,  '*  Very  well,  each  of  our  large  hotels 
can  accommodate  a  dozen  parties  like  yours."  This 
sounded  like  exaggeration  to  the  Japanese.  When 
they  went  to  their  appointed  hotel,  they  found  that 
the  statement  was  true.  The  hotel  was  a  five-storied 
building  with  six  hundred  apartments.  It  could 
accommodate  over  a  thousand  guests.  The  servants 
numbered  over  five  hundred.  At  first  the  Japanese 
were  in  constant  danger  of  losing  themselves  in  the 
hall-ways.  Every  room  was  warmed  by  steam  in 
pipes  and  illuminated  by  brilliant  gas-lights.  In  the 
dining-room  every-thing  was  luxurious,  and  the 
Japanese  brought  the  heartiest  appetites  to  well 
appointed  meals.  Not  even  a  great  hater  of  foreign- 


46  A  LIFE  OP  Mr.  YUKlCf/J  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

ers  could  have  withstood  these  dainty  dishes. 
Thus  sumptuously  entertained,  they  laughed  at  their 
folly  in  having  brought  rice,  lamps  and  candles. 
They  had  no  need  to  light  their  own  lamps  or  to 
boil  their  rice.  They  were  puzzled  to  know  what  to 
do  with  these  burdensome  things.  At  last,  they 
gladly  disposed  of  them  in  the  form  of  a  present  to 
one  of  the  French  officials. 

The  European  nations  vied  one  with  another  in 
the  cordiality  of  their  reception  of  the  Japanese. 
The  Japanese  were  given  every  opportunity  to  in- 
spect the  army  and  navy,  the  manufactories,  banks, 
churches,  schools,  clubs,  and  hospitals.  They  were 
also  invited  to  the  balls  and  evening  parties  of  the 
fashionable  circles.  But  they  received  the  most  cor- 
dial and  extensive  hospitality  from  the  Dutch,  who 
had  been  in  friendly  relations  with  Japanese  for  over 
two  centuries.  Especially  did  Mr.  Fukuzawa  and 
the  other  translators  and  interpreters  who  had  a 
knowledge  of  the  Dutch  language  greatly  enjoy  their 
time  in  the  Hague. 

The  party  made  numerous  blunders.  On  one 
occasion,  some  of  them  ordered  the  waiter  to  bring 
cigars.  So  bad  was  their  pronunciation  that  the 
waiter  returned  with  sugar.  Their  physicians  bought 


.VIII  VISIT  TO  EUROPE.  47 

what  they  thought  to  be  ginseng  and  it  turned"  out 
to  be  powdered  ginger. 

The  envoys  arranged  with  the  treaty-powers 
that  the  opening  of  the  ports  of  Hyogo  and  Niigata 
should  be  postponed  for  a  period  of  five  years  from 
January,  1863.  Having  thus  accomplished  their 
mission,  the  party  returned  to  Japan  in  December, 
1862. 

This  journey  through  the  important  countries  in 
Europe  proved  of  inestimable  advantage  to  the 
Japanese  in  extending  their  knowledge.  Especially 
with  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  who  was  thirsting  for  knowl- 
edge of  Western  things,  was  this  the  case.  When 
he  had  visited  California,  there  was  not  yet  a  railway 
in  that  state.  At  Suez  for  the  first  time  he  saw  a 
line  of  railway.  Later  he  found  that  all  the  principal 
cities  of  Europe  were  connected  by  a  system  of  rail- 
ways. He  was  greatly  surprised  at  the  speed  of  the 
trains.  During  his  previous  stay  in  America,  he  had 
carefully  observed  the  manners  and  customs  of 
Western  people,  so  he  now  endeavored  to  gain  infor- 
mation about  political,  social,  and  economic  condi- 
tions. He  sought  to  investigate  those  things  which 
were  too  familiar  to  Europeans  to  need  explanation  but 
which  were  very  difficult  to  study  in  Japan.  What 


48  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKlCHr  FUKUZAIVA.  CHAP. 

was  a  newspaper  ?  What  was  a  bank  and  how  was 
it  organized  ?  What  were  postal  regulations  ?  What 
was  a  conscription  law,  an  election  law,  and  a  legisla- 
ture? Such  were  important  subjects  for  him,  and 
some  of  them  were  so  complicated  that  it  took  him 
a  week  or  so  to  come  to  a  tolerable  comprehension 
of  the  terms.  Everything  he  learned  he  wrote 
down  minutely  in  a  note-book.  On  his  return  to 
Japan,  he  published  these  notes  in  a  book  called 
Sciyo  Jijo  or  "  Things  Western,"  which  was  eagerly 
read  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  his 
country.  Indeed  no  book  contributed  so  much  to 
opening  the  eyes  of  his  countrymen  who  had  been 
until  then  in  utter  ignorance  of  European  affairs. 

On  his  return  to  Japan,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  continued 
in  the  service  of  the  Foreign  Office.  In  addition 
to  performing  his  official  duties,  he  continued  indus- 
triously to  write  and  to  teach  in  his  school. 

CHAPTER     IX. 
THE  NAMAMUGI  AFFAIR. 

DURING   Mr.   Fukuzawa's   tour    in    Europe,   the 
anti-foreign   sentiment  had  reached  its  height. 
Foreigners  were  said  to  have  desecrated  the  Japanese 
religion    by    climbing    the    sacred    mountain    Fuji. 


IX  THE  N AM  AMU G I  APFAIK.  49 

Those  Japanese  who  were  in  the  service  of  foreigners 
were  called  "  traitors."  Native  merchants  who  had 
engaged  in  foreign  trade  and  dealers  in  foreign  goods 
were  obliged  to  close  their  stores.  Numerous  per- 
sons who  had  learned  foreign  languages  were  assassin- 
ated. 

On  the  afternoon  of  September  fourteenth,  1862, 
Saburo  Shimazu,  the  uncle  and  guardian  of  the  young 
prince  of  Satsuma,  with  his  train  and  escort,  was 
passing  through  Namamugi  Village,  near  Kanagawa, 
in  the  province  of  Musashi,  on  his  way  home  from 
Yedo.  A  riding  party  consisting  of  an  English  lady 
and  three  English  gentlemen  attempted  to  break- 
through the  line  of  procession.  This  act,  being  quite 
contrary  to  feudal  etiquette,  offended  the  Satsuma 
men  beyond  measure.  Suddenly  a  soldier  from  the 
centre  of  the  procession  rushed  upon  the  foreigners 
with  a  sword  and  struck  Richardson,  one  of  them,  a 
fatal  blow.  Both  the  other  gentlemen  were  also 
wounded,  but  the  lady  escaped  unhurt.  After  riding 
a  few  rods,  Richardson  fell  from  his  horse  and  im- 
mediately died  from  the  effect  of  his  wound. 

The  British  government,  which  had  hitherto 
shown  good  will  towards  Japan,  was  highly  incensed. 
tn  February  of  the  following  year,  a  British  squadron 


50  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

of  seven  vessels,  under  the  command  of  Admiral 
Kuper,  appeared  in  Yedo  Bay.  The  British  charge 
d'affaires,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Neale,  sent  a  lengthy 
dispatch  to  the  Japanese  government,  demanding  the 
capture  and  punishment  of  the  murderer  of  Richard- 
son, and  the  payment  of  an  indemnity  of  £  100,000 
by  the  Shogun's  government  and  of  £  25,000  by  the 
Satsuma  clan.  A  decisive  answer  must  be  given 
within  twenty  days.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  and  two  other 
translators  were  called  at  night  to  the  residence  of 
Matsudaira  Iwami-no-Kami,  Bugyo  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  to  translate  the  dispatch.  They  were  en- 
gaged all  night  at  the  task.  How  should  the  govern- 
ment answer  ?  The  authorities  as  well  as  the  people 
were  filled  with  fear  and  anxiety  about  the  conse- 
quences. Notwithstanding  this  grave  difficulty,  the 
Shogun  left  for  Kyoto  to  pay  homage  to  the  Em- 
peror. Meanwhile  twenty  days  elapsed.  Then  the 
government  asked  Colonel  Neale  to  wait  another 
twenty  days.  After  much  discussion  the  request  was 
granted  ;  but  the  authorities  could  not  come  to  any 
decision.  During  this  time,  the  whole  city  of  Yedo 
was  in  great  excitement,  and  one  rumour  after  an- 
other arose.  It  was  actually  reported  that  war  would 
break  out  on  a  specified  day.  The  time  extension  of 


IX  THE  NAMAMUGf  AFFAIR.  51 

twenty  days  was  consumed  in  fruitless  discussion  and 
ten  days  more  were  granted.  In  this  way  the  day 
for  the  answer  was  repeatedly  postponed.  To  add 
to  the  trouble,  the  French  minister  intimated  to  the 
government  that  France  was  in  sympathy  with  Great 
Britain  in  the  affair  in  question  and  that,  in  the  event 
of  war,  her  warships  would  join  the  British  warships 
in  Shinagawa  Bay.  The  authorities  were  alarmed  by 
the  threat,  but  yet  could  arrive  at  no  conclusion^ 
While  they  were  hesitating,  the  day  appointed  for 
the  answer  drew  near.  Finally  there  remained  only 
two  days  before  the  answer  had  to  be  given.  Then 
a  proclamation  was  issued  in  the  city  of  Yedo  to  the 
effect  that  in  case  war  were  declared  the  event  should 
be  signalized  by  the  firing  of  rockets  at  the  Hania 
Palace  (the  present  Enrydkutan)  and  that  at  this 
signal  the  citizens  should  prepare  for  war.  At  the 
Egawa  drill  ground  on  the  beach  of  Shinsenza,  every 
cannon  was  put  in  position  with  its  muzzle  towards 
the  bay,  in  order  that  it  might  be  fired  at  a  mo- 
ment's alarm.  The  citizens  commenced  preparations 
running  hither  and  thither  with  their  belongings. 
At  this  critical  moment,  Ogasavvara  Iki-no-Kami, 
Councilor  of  the  Shogun's  cabinet,  and  Asano  Bitchu- 
no-Kami,  Governor  of  Yokohama,  took  the  whole 


52  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKfCHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

responsibility  upon  themselves  and  paid  £  100,000  to 
Colonel  Neale.  Thus  the  city  of  Yedo  \vas  saved 
from  bombardment. 

The  British  squadron  then  went  to  Kagoshimato 
demand  the  payment  of  the  additional  indemnity  and 
the  execution  of  the  murderer.  Negotiations  failed 
to  effect  a  settlement  and  the  naval  force  was  called 
upon  to  play  its  part.  Three  new  valuable  steamers, 
which  the  lord  of  the  clan  had  recently  purchased, 
were  captured  and  burned.  The  Satsuma  men  be- 
came indignant  and  bombardment  ensued.  The 
batteries  which  lined  the  shore  were  dismantled  by 
the  British  guns  ;  and  the  city  of  Kagoshima  was 
almost  completely  destroyed  by  fire.  After  this  drastic 
lesson  the  money  demanded  was  paid  and  this  affair 
ended,  although  the  murderer  was  not  executed. 

Meanwhile  patriots  whose  motto  was  to  "  revere 
the  Emperor  and  expel  the  barbarians  "  had  flocked 
in  great  numbers  to  the  Imperial  court  at  Kyoto. 
The  Emperor  at  last  granted  Mori,  the  lord  of 
Choshu,  an  edict  which  ordered  the  expulsion  of 
foreigners.  On  the  tenth  of  May,  1863,  the  Choshu 
men  began  to  fine  upon  foreign  vessels  which  at- 
tempted to  pass  the  Straits  of  Shimonoseki.  The 
Emperor  then  determined  to  raise  a  great  army  for 


X  SECOND  VISIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.  53 

the  accomplishment  of  his  purpose  and  to  take  the 
field  in  person.  Conservative  patriots  and  ignorant 
rdnins  joined  his  flag,  and  almost  the  whole  nation 
was  seized  with  a  fanatic  enthusiasm. 

At  this  moment,  the  tables  were  unexpectedly 
turned.  Through  the  joint  influence  of  the  Toku- 
gawa  Government  and  the  lord  of  Satsuma,  the 
Emperor  was  compelled  to  suspend  his  operations 
and  to  drive  out  of  the  Imperial  city  the  Choshu 
men  who  had  persuaded  him  to  undertake  the  war. 
The  Bakufu  then  obtained  the  Imperial  sanction  to 
the  commercial  treaties  which  were  several  years 
before  concluded  with  the  foreign  nations.  The 
Bakufu  also  gained  the  Imperial  permission  to  chas- 
tise the  Choshu  clan  as  "  traitors,"  and  for  that  pur- 
pose sent  ;i  large  army  to  Choshu.  Both  sides 
fought  with  varying  success,  until  the  Shogun's  death 
in  camp  put  an  end  to  the  war. 

In  December,  1866  (the  second  year  of  Keio), 
the  Emperor  Komei  died  and  the  present  Emperor 
ascended  the  throne. 

CHAPTER     X. 
SECOND  VISIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

MR.  Fukuzawa  made  a  second  visit  to  the  United 
States       Several  years   previous   to  the  time 


54  '   I. IFF.   OF  Mr.    YUKICHl  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

just  mentioned,  the  Shogun's  government  had 
requested  Robert  H.  Bryan,  who  was  then  American 
minister,  to  purchase  two  men-of-wai  from  his  govern- 
ment on  behalf  of  Japan.  The  sum  of  $  800,000 
had  been  remitted  to  America  through  him.  In 
1863  or  64,  a  warship  named  Fujiyama  Kan  cost- 
ing $  400,000  was  received.  But  what  had  become 
of  the  rest  of  the  money  ?  No  intelligence  what- 
ever had  come  from  the  government  at  Washington. 
The  Bakufu,  therefore,  decided  to  despatch  some  del- 
egates to  America  to  negotiate  about  the  matter. 
Tomogoro  Ono,  Auditor  of  Finance,  Jutaro  Matsu- 
moto,  and  some  other  officials  were  appointed  for 
the  mission.  As  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  very  anxious  to 
see  America  once  more,  he  repeatedly  called  on  Ono, 
president  delegate,  and  offered  his  services.  His 
offer  was  accepted.  The  delegates  and  their  suite 
set  out  on  their  voyage  in  January,  1867  (the  third 
year  of  Keio).  In  this  year,  mail-steamer  service  was 
opened  between  Japan  and  the  United  States  and 
they  were  able  to  travel  in  the  first  mail-steamer 
that  came  to  Japan,  the  "  Colorado,"  a  ship  of  4,000 
tons  After  a  quiet  passage  of  twenty-two  days, 
they  reached  San  Francisco  ;  whence  they  proceeded 


X  SECOND  VISFT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.  55 

to  Washington  by  way  of  Panama  and  New  York ; 
and  negotiations  were  commenced  with  Bryan, 
the  ex-minister  to  Japan.  They  agreed  to  receive  an 
iron-clad  called  "  Stonewall  "  and  many  thousands  of 
rifles  for  the  money.  They  returned  to  Japan  in 
June. 

During  this  journey,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  his  superiors.  Though  he  was  in  the 
service  of  the  Bakufu,  he  had  no  sympathy  with  it. 
On  the  contrary,  he  disliked  it  on  account  of  its  class 
system,  its  tyranny,  and  its  conservatism.  The  dele- 
gates were  also  of  conservative  and  tyrannical  prin- 
ciples, and  every  step  they  took  offended  his  pro- 
gressive ideas.  Hence  it  was  natural  that  he  argued 
with  them  almost  every  day.  With  Shimpachi  Seki, 
an  interpreter,  and  others,  he  attacked  the  incapacity 
and  ignorance  of  the  Bakufu  authorities,  and  tvent  so 
far  as  to  say,  "  Such  conservative  government  must 
be  overthrown  sooner  or  later."  He  also  said  that 
the  forts  off  Hyogo  and  in  Shinagawa  Bay  represent- 
ed a  foolish  waste  of  money  and  laboi. 

On  his  return  to  Japan,  he  was  ordered  by  the 
Rugyo  of  Foreign  Affairs  to  be  confined  to  his  res- 
idence as  a  punishment  for  his  disobedience.  He, 
however,  was  not  distressed  but  was  rather  gratified  to 


56  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUK1CHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP 

find  that  the  confinement  afforded  him  leisure  and 
tranquillity.  He  devoted  all  his  time  to  teaching  in 
his  school  and  to  writing  and  translation.  He  was 
soon  after  released  and  again  resumed  his  official 
duties  at  the  Foreign  Office.  But  he  was  not  at  all 
satisfied  with  his  position  and  resolved  not  to  remain 
long  in  the  service  of  the  Bakufu. 

CHAPTER     XI. 
THE  MEIJI    RESTORATION. 

AT  the  time  Mr.  Fukuzawa  returned  from  America, 
the  Imperial  court  at  Kyoto  had  steadily  in- 
creased in  power  until  the  influence  of  the  Yedo 
government  was  broken.  The  new  Shogun  Keiki, 
perceiving  the  anomaly  of  the  duarchy  and  foreseeing 
that  his  government  would  not  be  able  to  govern 
Japan,  Vequested  the  Emperor  in  October,  1867,  to 
take  back  the  supreme  power  to  himself.  This  re- 
quest was  immediately  granted  and  the  Shogun  soon 
resigned.  In  December  of  the  same  year,  Hyogo 
and  Niigata  were  opened  to  foreign  trade ;  and 
foreign  settlements  were  established  in  Yedo  and 
Osaka.  In  the  meantime,  the  Choshu  clan  had  re- 
gained the  favor  of  the  Emperor.  According  to  the 
advice  of  the  chief  men  of  the  Choshu  and  Satsuma 


XI  THE  MEIJI  RESTORATION.  57 

clans,  a  thorough  revision  of  official  organization  was 
effected.  Important  positions  in  the  new  govern- 
ment were  filled  by  these  men  ;  and  the  Emperor 
being  still  a  boy,  the  real  supremacy  seemed  to  be 
in  their  hands.  Those  clans  which  were  hereditary 
vassals  of  Tokugawa  regarded  this  state  of  things 
with  much  dissatisfaction  and  bitter  jealousy.  They 
persuaded  the  ex-Shogun  Keiki  to  gather  together  an 
army  to  expel  the  Satsuma  and  Choshu  men  from 
the  Imperial  capital.  On  the  pretence  of  paying 
homage  to  the  Emperor,  he  started  for  Kyoto  at  the 
head  of  30,000  men.  When  the  Emperor  heard  this, 
he  sent  soldiers  of  Satsuma,  Choshu,  and  Tosa,  to 
meet  the  Bakufu  army.  After  three  days'  hard 
fighting  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kyoto,  the  Shogun 
was  totally  defeated  and  he  returned  to  Yedo  in  a 
steam  corvette.  So  bitterly  did  Keiki  regret  his 
undertaking  that  he  was  willing  to  go  again  to  Kyoto 
to  beg  the  Emperor's  pardon.  But  his  retainers 
would  not  permit  him  to  do  so.  They  decided  upon 
an  effort  to  restore  the  power  of  the  Bakufu.  Ac- 
cordingly they  held  a  conference  to  consider  means 
for  the  attainment  of  their  object.  The  Bakufu  still 
had  a  powerful  army,  plenty  of  provisions  and  arms, 
and  a  strong  fleet  of  ships.  It  was  extremely  doubt- 


58  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICfff  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

ful  which  side  would  eventually  conquer — the  Bakufu 
forces  or  the  Imperial  army.  Thus  the  Empire 
was  thrown  into  a  state  of  commotion. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  did  not  show  the  least  sympathy 
with  either  party.  He  had  been  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  an  immediate  vassal  of  the  Bakufu  and  still 
retained  his  position  of  government  translator.  Yet 
he  was  not  in  sympathy  with  the  Bakufu,  as  he  was 
radically  opposed  to  the  absolutism  and  class  system 
that  characterized  it.  Nor  did  he  care  to  support  the 
Imperialists  who  were  so  blindly  swept  away  by  anti- 
foreign  spirit.  They  were  so  ignorant  of  affairs  in 
the  outside  world  that  they  seemed  to  him  incapable 
of  ruling  Japan.  Furthermore,  he  hated  from  the 
bottom  of  his  heart  both  formality  and  officialism, 
while  he  had  no  ambition  to  attain  political  honors. 
Owing  to  the  existence  of  Civil  War,  all  negotiations 
with  foreign  powers  were  then  suspended.  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  therefore  had  no  work  to  do  at  his  office  ; 
but  he  went  almost  every  day  to  the  Shogun's  castle 
in  order  to  hear  the  news.  One  day  he  saw  Mr. 
Hiroyuki  Kato  (who  was  until  recently  president  of 
the  Higher  Educational  Council)  at  the  office.  The 
latter  was  in  court  dress.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  hailed  him 
saying,  "  Good  morning,  Mr.  Kato.  What  !  you  are  in 


XI  THE  MEIJI  RESTORATtON.  59 

court  dress  ;  what  are  you  here  for  ?"  "  Well,  I  wish 
to  get  an  audience  with  His  Highness  the  Shogun 
who  has  just  returned  from  Kyoto,"  was  the  reply. 
"  Aha,  I  see  !  By  the  way,  what  will  be  the  out- 
come of  the  present  affair  ?  I  suppose  you  know 
well  whether  war  will  break  out  or  not.  Please  tell 
me."  "  What  will  you  do  if  I  tell  you  ?"  "  What 
will  I  do?  Why,  if  war  is  certain  to  break  out,  I 
must  pack  and  leave  town  ;  if  not,  I  can  stay  here 
in  peace.  Whether  or  not  war  will  occur  concerns 
me  very  much  ;  pray  let  me  know  quickly.'*  Kato 
said  with  a  wry  face,  "  Pshaw  !  I  have  no  time  to 
talk  such  nonsense  with  you."  "  Nonsense  ?  I  am 
in  earnest.  My  life  is  at  stake.  You  may  fight  or 
make  peace  as  you  choose.  As  for  me,  the  moment 
war  begins,  I  will  run  away  from  town."  Kato  here- 
upon grew  angry  and  vouchsafed  no  further  reply. 
This  was  how  Mr.  Fukuzawa  felt  on  the  subject  at 
the  time.  When  the  Bakufu  offered  him  a  high 
appointment,  he  declined  it  on  the  pretence  of  ill- 
ness ;  and  at  length  resigned  his  post  as  translator. 
Furthermore,  he  abjured  his  rank  of  samurai  and 
became  a  keimin  or  commoner.  At  the  same  time, 
he  declined  longer  to  receive  his  salary  from  his  clan. 
The  Imperial  court  mustered  a  large  force  from 


60  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICfll  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

many  clans  for  the  subjugation  of  the  Bakufu.  In 
February,  1868  (the  first  year  of  Meiji),  General  Saigo 
at  the  head  of  the  army  left  Kyoto  for  Yedo.  The 
subject  clansmen  of  the  Bakufu  were  determined  to 
fight  to  the  last,  and  thus  to  repay  the  favors  of  the 
founder  of  the  Tokugawa  regime.  If  both  armies 
had  fought  with  their  utmost  energy  and  persistence 
the  result  of  the  contest  would  have  been  difficult  to 
conjecture.  But  the  ex-Shogun  firmly  held  to  his 
original  attitude  of  respectful  submission  to  the  Em- 
peror, nor  would  he  swerve  a  hair's  breadth  from  it. 
In  obedience  to  the  counsel  of  Avva  Katsu  and  Ichio 
Okubo,  his  two  highest  officials,  he  declared  that  he 
would  never  take  up  arms  against  the  Emperor,  and 
so  he  retired  to  private  life.  The  Imperial  army,  al- 
ready in  the  southern  suburb  of  the  city,  was  waiting 
to  begin  the  attack.  Katsu  met  Saigo,  assured  him 
of  the  submissive  temper  of  the  ex-Shogun,  and 
begged  him  to  spare  the  city.  It  was  done.  But 
the  fanatical  retainers  of  Keiki,  unwilling  to  yield, 
made  the  temple  grounds  of  Uyeno  their  stronghold. 
On  the  fifteenth  of  May,  they  were  attacked  and 
routed,  and  the  magnificient  temple,  the  pride  of  the 
city,  was  laid  in  ashes.  The  seat  of  war  was  then 
transferred  to  the  highlands  of  Aidzu,  and  thence  to 


XI  THE  ME1JI  RESTORATION.  61 

Matsurnaye  and  Hakodate  in  Yezo  (the  present 
Hokkaido).  Victory  everywhere  followed  the  Mika- 
do's brocade  banner.  By  July,  1869  (the  second 
year  of  Meiji).  all  traces  of  the  rebellion  had  dis- 
appeared;  and  the  so-called  "Meiji  Restoration"  had 
been  fully  realized.  In  October,  1870  (the  third 
year  of  Meiji),  the  name  of  Yedo  was  changed  to 
Tokyo,  which  literally  means  the  "  Eastern  Capital"; 
and  the  Emperor  removed  to  the  castle  in  the  new 
capital. 

Soon  after  the  downfall  of  the  Bakufu,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  was  offered  an  appointment  by  the  new 
government.  But  he  declined  the  offer.  The  govern- 
ment renewed  its  invitation,  offering  him  this  time 
the  post  of  superintendent  of  government  schools  ; 
but  he  again  declined.  He  did  so,  because  his  prin- 
ciples were  in  direct  opposition  to  those  of  the  new 
government,  which  was,  in  his  estimation,  quite  con- 
servative and  ignorant  of  the  current  events  of  the 
world.  The  authorities  had,  indeed,  opened  the 
promised  ports  to  foreign  trade,  but  they  had  done 
so  under  the  pressure  of  foreign  powers  and  against 
their  will.  They  merely  awaited  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity to  expel  foreigners  and  to  close  the  country. 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  could  not  recognize  any  benefit  in  the 


62  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKKHF  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

change  of  the  government.  Naturally  he  had  no 
inclination  to  enter  into  the  service  of  such  a  govern- 
ment. He  had  good  grounds  for  his  opinion  of  the 
new  government.  In  July,  1869,  the  Duke  of  Edin- 
borough,  a  British  Imperial  prince,  came  over  to 
Japan.  Etiquette  required  that  he  be  granted  an 
audience  by  Their  Majesties  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  at  the  palace.  Foreigners  were  then 
considered  unclean  barbarians  and  the  authorities 
were  unwilling  to  admit  one  of  them  to  the 
palace.  So,  before  the  prince  entered  the  palace 
gate,  they  caused  a  religious  ceremony  of  purification 
to  be  performed  on  his  person,  in  order,  as  they  sup- 
posed, to  cleanse  him  of  all  uncleanness.  This  cere- 
mony naturally  elicited  from  foreign  residents  in  the 
country  both  indignation  and  ridicule.  Portman,  then 
acting  American  minister,  reported  it  to  the  Washing- 
ton government  under  the  heading  of  "A  Purification 
of  the  Duke  of  Edinborough."  The  report  was  in 
substance  as  follows  :  "  The  Japanese  are  very  self- 
conceited  recluses  who  usually  treat  foreigners  like 
beasts.  Here  is  an  instance.  The  other  day  when 
the  British  Imperial  prince 'was  granted  an  audience 
by  the  Emperor,  a  Shinto  rite  of  purification  was 
performed  on  his  body.  In  ancient  times,  water  was 


XI  THE  ME1JI  RESTORATfON.  63 

sprinkled  over  anything  considered  unclean  in  order 
to  purify  it.  Since  the  invention  of  the  art  of  mak- 
ing paper,  paper  has  been  substituted  for  water. 
Some  pieces  of  paper  called  gohfi  are  waved  over 
unclean  things  for  the  same  purpose.  A  gohei 
was  used  in  the  case  of  the  British  prince  who  is,  to 
the  Japanese,  no  other  than  an  unclean  creature," 
&c.  &c.  When  told  of  this  report  by  Shimpachi 
Seki,  an  interpreter  in  the  American  legation,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  felt  like  crying  for  regret  and  mortification. 
At  about  this  time,  Seward,  formerly  secretary  of 
state  of  the  United  States,  visited  Japan  with  his 
daughter.  He  was  a  celebrated  statesman  who 
exerted  himself  much  for  the  emancipation  of  the 
American  slaves.  He  had  warm  sympathy  towards 
Japan  before  he  visited  the  country  ;  but  now  that 
he  witnessed  the  actual  state  of  things  in  Japan,  all 
his  sympathy  chilled  and  vanished.  He  even  said, 
"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  a  nation  with  such  prej- 
udices and  dispositions  will  not  be  able  to  preserve 
its  independence." 

Under  the  circumstances,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  saw 
with  keen  insight  that  .it  was  of  vital  necessity  to 
open  the  eyes  of  the  great  mass  of  the  people  who 
had  no  knowledge  about  the  outside  world.  This 


64  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

seemed  to  him  much  more  important  than  any  polit- 
ical improvement.  It  was  the  root  of  every  possi- 
bility, either  of  good  or  of  evil.  He  determined  to 
devote  all  his  energies  to  this  fundamental  popular 
education.  With  this  object  in  view,  he  extended 
his  school  and  at  the  same  time  devoted  all  his  spare 
time  and  energy  to  the  work  of  translation  and  writ- 
ing. His  school  has  since  developed  into  the  present 
Keio  Gijuku,  one  of  the  largest,  most  progressive  and 
best  known  educational  institutions  of  modern  Japan. 
The  services  rendered  by  his  school  and  by  his  books 
to  the  formation  of  the  New  Japan  will  be  described 
in  the  following  two  chapters.  In  those  days,  every 
ambitious  man  was  eager  to  get  an  official  appoint- 
ment ;  but  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  never  affected  with 
the  mania.  He  preferred  quietly  to  continue  his 
work  as  educator  and  as  author,  vocations  which  were 
then  among  the  most  unattractive.  This  shows 
clearly  how  far-sighted  and  how  great  he  was. 

Afterwards  the  government  became  impressed 
with  the  folly  of  trying  to  return  to  the  ancient  policy 
of  seclusion,  and  finally  adopted  progressive  principles. 
Even  then  Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  no  inclination  to  enter 
into  government  service.  In  his  Autobiography  the 
following  reasons  are  given  for  his  persistent  refusal 


XI  THE  ME/JI  RESTORATION.  65 

to  meddle  with  politics :  although  a  progressive 
policy  was  adopted,  yet  the  class  system  was  in  exist- 
ence as  before  ;  and  government  officials  acted  with 
arrogance.  They  were  generally  low  in  character  ; 
they  lacked  private  virtues  and  behaved  with  licen- 
tiousness. His  nature  did  not  permit  him  to  act  in 
cooperation  with  them.  In  the  conflict  between  the 
Imperialists  and  the  Bakufu,  most  Bakufu  vassals  had 
made  great  show  of  loyalty  to  the  Tokugawa  family; 
but  when  the  Bakufu  fell,  they  at  once  went  over  to 
the  new  government  and  hunted  for  places.  This 
fact  dulled  what  political  ambition  he  had.  Lastly, 
when  the  new  government  was  placed  on  a  firm  basis, 
every  man,  whether  scholar  or  soldier,  peasant  or 
merchant,  was  anxious  to  get  a  position  in  it. 
Government  service  became  the  centre  of  ambition, 
and  very  few  persons  had  the  slightest  idea  of  in- 
dependence and  individuality.  This  was  an  unavoid- 
able result  of  the  Confucian  system  of  education.  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  perceived  the  vital  necessity  of  inculcating 
in  the  masses  of  the  people  the  essential  principle 
that  the  independence  of  a  nation  consists  in  the  in- 
dependent spirit  of  the  individuals  composing  it.  He 
himself  became  an  illustrious  example  of  independ- 
ence and  individuality,  and  he  adhered  to  thi* 


66  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

independent  and  democratic  principle  throughout  life. 
This  is  what  so  remarkably  distinguished  him  from 
his  contemporaries. 

THE  DREAD  OF  ASSASSINATION.  At  this  point, 
it  is  appropriate  to  refer  to  the  great  personal  danger 
to  which  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  long  and  constantly 
exposed.  It  has  already  been  stated  that  ignorant 
and  conservative  people  wanted  to  close  Japan  against 
foreigners  who  were  regarded  as  unclean  barbarians. 
They  not  only  hated  foreigners,  but  they  also  extreme- 
ly hated  scholars  of  progressive  ideas,  especially 
persons  versed  in  Western  learning,  whom  they  called 
"  traitors."  After  the  assassination  of  li  Kamon-no- 
Kami,  assassinations  had  become  rather  frequent. 
Among  those  persons  who  had  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  Western  conditions  and  customs,  the  victims  of 
assassination  were  specially  numerous.  During  the 
years  1862 — 74,  such  persons  were  at  the  constant 
risk  of  assassination.  Some  intimate  friends  of  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  had  been  attacked  by  ignorant  ronins,  and 
he  himself  who  was  also  regarded  as  a  traitor  was 
always  in  the  dread  of  assassination.  So  during  these 
years,  he  managed  to  avoid  going  out  at  night  ;  and 
whenever  he  was  obliged  to  travel,  he  assumed  a  false 
name  in  order  to  conceal  his  identity.  In  1864 


XI  THE  MEIJI  RESTORATION.  67 

(the  first  year  of  Gwanji),  he  went  to  his  town  Nakatsu 
with  a  view  to  persuade  some  young  men  of  his  clan 
to  study  the  arts  and  sciences  of  the  West.  On  his 
return  voyage,  a  storm  arose  and  the  ship  in  which 
he  sailed  was  obliged  to  stop  at  a  harbor.  Imagine 
his  surprise  to  find  that  the  harbor  was  Murotsu  in 
Choshu,  which  was  so  notorious  for  its  anti-foreign 
sentiment !  The  ship  stayed  there  a  few  days.  One 
day  he  went  ashore  and  visited  a  barber's  shop. 
The  barber  spoke  zealously  about  the  necessity  of 
overthrowing  the  Bakufu  and  expelling  foreigners 
from  the  country.  Children  playing  thereabout  were 
loudly  singing  a  song  in  which  similar  sentiments 
were  expressed.  Soldiers,  variously  clad  and  with 
guns  on  their  shoulders,  deported  themselves  very 
haughtily  in  the  streets.  If  his  identity  had  been 
betrayed,  he  might  have  been  killed  by  them  on  the 
spot.  But  his  assumption  of  a  false  name  saved  him 
from  such  an  unhappy  fate. 

In  1870  (the  third  year  of  Meiji),  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
again  visited  Nakatsu  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  to 
Tokyo  his  aged  mother  and  his  young  niece.  The 
residents  of  Nakatsu,  who  were  of  anti-foreign 
prejudices,  entertained  extreme  hatred  towards  him, 
and  some  of  them  even  awaited  a  convenient  oppor- 


68  ./  1JFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

tunity  to  assassinate  him.  But  he  had  at  the  time 
no  knowledge  of  their  intention  ;  so  he  stayed  there 
for  some  time.  A  cousin  of  his  by  the  name  of 
Sotaro  Masuda  was  among  those  who  cherished 
designs  against  his  life.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  and  Masuda 
had  during  their  boyhood  been  intimate  playmates  ; 
but  the  latter  had  since  become  a  very  conservative 
patriot.  He  afterwards  joined  General  Saigo  in  his 
so-called  "  rebellion  "  and  fell  at  Kagoshima.  Masuda 
had  determined  to  assassinate  Mr.  Fukuzawa.  In 
order  to  execute  his  purpose,  he  one  night  proceeded 
with  a  sword  to  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  house.  As  he 
secretly  watched  through  a  window,  he  observed 
Mr.  Fukuzawa,  quite  ignorant  of  danger,  pleasantly- 
talking  over  sake  with  a  certain  Hattori.  The 
would-be  assassin  waited  and  waited  for  the  departure 
of  the  visitor ;  but  they  both  drank  and  talked  until 
the  small  hours.  Masuda  at  length  tired  of  waiting, 
abandoned  his  purpose  and  departed.  The  night 
before  embarkment,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  with  his  mother 
and  niece  lodged  at  an  inn  at  Unoshima  Harbor, 
three  miles  west  of  Nakatsu.  The  innkeeper, 
who  shared  the  views  of  Masuda,  also  desired  the 
death  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa.  Accordingly  he  planned 
the  assassination  of  the  latter  with  several  young 


XII  THE  KEIO  G1JUKU.  6g 

men  of  the  place.  At  a  signal  given  by  the  inn- 
keeper, these  young  men  came,  sword  in  hand,  and 
surrounded  the  inn.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  indeed  at 
the  "  Jaws  of  Death,"  though  he  knew  not  of  it. 
But  curiously  enough,  as  the  assassins  were  about  to 
enter  the  house,  they  had  a  difference  as  to  who 
should  strike  the  first  blow.  Each  contended  for  the 
bloody  honor  and  a  stormy  dispute  ensued.  While 
they  were  quarreling,  day  broke  ;  so  they  gave  up 
their  murderous  intention  and  went  away. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  so  much  at  the  risk  of  as- 
sassination, that  in  his  residence  at  Mita  a  special 
place  of  concealment  was  provided.  Part  of  the 
floor  was  built  higher  than  was  usual  and  underneath 
it  was  a  hiding-place,  wherein  he  intended  in  case  of 
danger  to  conceal  himself. 

CHAPTER     XII. 
THE  KEIO  GIJUKU. 

IT  has  already  been  narrated  how  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
began,  in  the  winter  of  1858  (the  first  year  of  Ansei). 
to  teach  the  Dutch  language  to  a  few  young  samurai 
at  Teppozu.  In  1860,  on  his  return  from  America, 
he  gave  up  teaching  Dutch  and  began  instead  to 
teach  English.  Then  his  students  numbered  between 


70  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

forty  and  fifty,  and  in  1867  (the  third  year  of  Keio) 
the  number  had  increased  to  eighty.  At  this  time, 
excitement  was  running  high  throughout  the  Empire 
over  the  fanatic  proposal  to  expel  foreigners  ;  and 
advocates  of  Western  learning  were  in  consequence 
at  the  constant  risk  of  assassination.  But  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa  continued  to  teach  with  calmness.  The  Bakufu 
university  "  Shoheiko "  and  every  other  school, 
government  or  private,  had  gone  out  of  existence 
with  the  single  exception  of  his  school.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1867,  Teppozu  was  made  a  foreign  settlement : 
whereupon  his  school  was  removed  to  Shinsenza, 
Shiba  Ku,  where  a  school-house  was  built  with  a 
boarding-house  attached.  During  his  second  visit  to 
the  United  States,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  bought  as 
many  English  books  as  his  allowance  from  the  Bakufu 
permitted,  these  being  many  dictionaries  of  different 
kinds  and  a  large  number  of  works  on  geography, 
history,  law,  political  economy,  mathematics,  and 
other  branches  of  learning.  The  students  each 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  borrowing  these  books 
which  were  the  very  first  copies  imported  to 
Japan.  Owing  to  these  circumstances,  the  students 
steadily  increased  in  number.  Up  to  this  time,  the 
school  had  had  no  name.  Soon  after  the  removal  to 


XII  THE  KEIO  GIJUKU.  71 

Shinsenza,  it  was  given  the  name  Keio  Gijuku  after 
the  name  of  the  era.  At  this  time,  the  struggle 
between  the  Imperialists  and  the  Bakufu  party  was 
raging,  and  Yedo  was  a  scene  of  commotion  and 
confusion.  Daily  business  of  the  city  was  suspended  : 
shops,  theatres,  public  halls,  restaurants  were  closed. 
The  surroundings  were  extremely  unfavorable  to 
quiet  teaching.  Moreover,  most  of  the  students,  be- 
ing samurai  of  different  clans,  were  obliged  to  leave 
the  school  to  enlist  as  soldiers ;  and  the  school  was 
for  two  or  three  days  reduced  to  only  eighteen 
students.  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  however,  was  not  in  the 
least  discouraged  and  did  not  stop  teaching  even  a 
day.  The  battle  of  Uyeno  (Uyeno  Park  of  to-day) 
took  place  on  the  fifteenth  of  May.  On  that  day  he 
commenced  to  teach  Wayland's  "  Political  Economy," 
which  had  just  arrived  from  abroad.  While  he  was 
lecturing,  the  report  of  guns  was  continually  heard, 
but  the  battle-field  being  about  four  miles  distant  he 
lectured  on  and  did  not  pay  the  slightest  attention  to 
the  firing.  During  the  lecture,  some  of  the  students 
stole  away  and  went  up  on  the  roof  of  the  school- 
building  to  see  the  smoke  of  battle.  While  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  thus  continued  to  teach  with  calmness  and 
perseverance,  the  desire  for  a  knowledge  of  Western 


72  ./     LIEF  OF  Mr.   YUKICHl  FUKUZAWA.        CHAP. 

things  gradually  spread  in  spite  of  the  war,  and 
the  number  of  his  students  began  again  lo  increase. 
At  that  time,  there  was  no  other  school  in 
the  Empire  wherein  Western  learning  might  be 
acquired.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  said  for  encouragement  to 
his  students :  "  Many  years  ago,  most  European 
countries  were  conquered  by  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 
Holland  with  its  colonies  was  invaded  by  his  armies  ; 
and  there  was  no  place  in  the  world  to  hoist  her  flag 
but  Deshima  in  Nagasaki,  Japan,  which  was  then 
a  Dutch  settlement.  Here  at  Deshima  the  Dutch 
flag  was  hoisted  and  thus  the  independence  of 
Holland  was  not  destroyed  for  a  single  day.  The 
Dutch  speak  of  this  fact  with  pride.  Now,  our  school 
is  a  Deshima  for  Western  learning  in  Japan.  We 
are  preserving  it  through  this  turbulent  period.  Our 
school  has  never  ceased  work  even  a  day ;  and 
as  long  as  the  Keio  Gijuku  exists,  Japan  may  be 
counted  one  of  the  civilized  nations.  My  students, 
you  need  not  trouble  yourselves  about  current  events 
in  the  least.'' 

After  some  time,  the  war  came  to  an  end  and 
peace  was  restored  throughout  the  country.  But 
the  new  government  was  too  busy  with  political 
reorganization  to  pay  any  attention  to  educational 


XII  THE  KE1O  GJJUKU.  73 

affairs.  As  late  as  the  time  when  the  clans  were 
abolished  and  the  feudal  system  was  destroyed, 
foreign  languages,  the  sciences  and  arts  of  the 
West  were  taught  in  no  other  school.  At  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  number  of  students  in  the  Keio 
Gijuku  rapidly  increased.  During  the  three  years 
ending  with  1871  (the  fourth  year  of  Meiji),  the  Keio 
Gijuku  had  an  average  attendance  of  three  hundred 
students.  Many  of  them  were  young  samurai  who 
had  fought  during  the  war.  Those  from  Tosa 
province  wore  long  swords  and  looked  as  if  they  were 
ready  to  draw  them  on  the  slightest  provocation. 
They  sometimes  wore  women's  red  garments  which, 
they  told  with  pride,  they  had  captured  at  Aidzu. 
In  dealing  with  these  unruly  students,  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
experienced  no  small  difficulty.  He  made  some 
simple  regulations  for  their  discipline.  Among 
others,  the  lending  and  borrowing  of  money,  and 
scribbling  on  walls,  slioji,  and  desks,  were  strictly 
prohibited.  When  he  found  scribbling  on  the  s/ioji, 
he  would  cut  away  the  disfigured  part  and  tell  the 
students  in  the  room  to  mend  the  place.  If  obstinate 
students  would  not  obey  his  command,  he  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  grinned,  and  assumed  an  attitude  as  if 
he  were  going  to  fight  with  them.  He  was  so  tall 


74  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

and  so  strongly  built,  that  they  would  cower  and  beg 
his  pardon. 

About  1871  Mr.  Fukuzawa  began  to  charge  the 
students  a  small  monthly  tuition  fee.  This  was  the 
origin  of  the  present  custom  of  charging  monthly 
fees.  Up  to  that  time,  it  had  been  customary  in 
private  schools  for  students  twice  a  year  to  give  their 
teachers  some  presents  in  compensation  for  teaching. 
The  presents,  which  consisted  of  money  or  goods, 
were  wrapped  up  in  paper ;  and  the  amount  was 
determined  by  the  students.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  saw  the 
absurdity  of  this  custom.  He  thought  that,  in 
respect  of  remuneration,  teaching  was  not  in  the  least 
different  from  any  other  kind  of  work.  Hence  it  was 
quite  right  to  demand  a  sum  of  money  for  teaching. 
This  thought  induced  him  to  fix  the  fee  to  be  paid 
by  students  ;  and  he  told  them  to  bring  the  money 
without  the  customary  envelope.  Yet  at  first  the 
students  did  not  dare  to  do  this.  The  money  was 
brought  in  an  envelope  with  a  misuhiki*  and  a  noshi.^ 
He  said,  "  These  things  are  very  troublesome  for 
counting  the  money"  ;  and  taking  the  money  out  of 


*  A  fine  paper  cord  (usually  of  white  and  red  color)  for  tying  up 
presents. 

t  A  piece  of  fancy  paper  always  attached  to  the  envelope  of  a  present. 


XII  THE  KEIO  GIJUKU.  75 

the  envelopes  in  their  presence,  he  returned  the 
envelopes  to  them.  Now-a-days  monthly  fees  are 
common  and  regarded  as  a  matter  of  fact ;  but  at  this 
time,  they  were  quite  a  novelty,  and  naturally  enough 
the  students  as  well  as  the  public  thought  his  act 
very  vulgar. 

During  this  time,  the  number  of  students  had 
been  steadily  increasing  and  the  school-building  was 
found  too  small  for  their  accommodation.  Hence  in 
the  spring  of  1871  (the  fourth  year  of  Meiji),  the 
Keio  Gijuku  was  removed  to  its  present  site  at  Mita, 
Shiba  Ku.  A  large  mansion  with  spacious  grounds 
which  formerly  belonged  to  the  lord  of  Shimabara 
had  there  been  purchased  for  the  school.  At  the 
same  time,  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  residence  was  also  re- 
moved to  the  new  location.  It  may  be  remarked 
in  passing  that  the  school-building  at  Shinsenza  was 
sold  to  the  Kogyokusha,  a  well-known  private  educa- 
tional institution,  which  remains  in  the  same  place  to 
this  day.  The  parlors  and  sitting  rooms  of  the  palace 
at  Mita  were  turned  into  class-rooms  ;  and  the  maids- 
of-honor  apartments  into  a  boarding-house.  The 
ground  is  thirty  times  as  large  as  that  of  the  former 
site  ;  and  the  building  was  very  much  better.  The 
site  is  remarkably  well  suited  for  a  school.  The  air  is 


76  A   LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKlCli!  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

pure,  the  neighborhood  is  comparatively  quiet  and 
retired  ;  and  a  beautiful  view  of  Shinagawa  Bay  is  to 
be  'seen  below. 

The  number  of  students  continued  to  increase  ; 
and  in  1872,  it  had  become  about  four  hundred. 
About  this  time,  the  expansion  of  the  school  obliged 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  himself  to  discontinue  teaching. 
The  teaching  was  now  left  entirely  to  some  gradu- 
ates of  the  school  who  several  years  before  had  begun 
to  assist  in  this  work,  while  he  confined  himself  ex- 
clusively to  the  duties  of  superintendent.  On  the 
other  hand,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  very  busy  writing 
books  and  translating  English  works,  by  which 
means  he  earned  his  livelihood.  He  did  not  appro- 
priate to  private  use  a  single  penny  from  the  school 
treasury,  but  now  and  then  he  spent  his  own  money 
on  the  improvements  of  the  school.  It  was  not  in- 
frequent that  he  gave  pecuniary  help  to  some  of  the 
teachers. 

Until  1874,  the  instruction  of  the  Keio  Gijuku 
was  directed  chiefly  to  a  mastery  of  the  meaning  of 
English  books.  Now  that  the  intercourse  of  the 
Japanese  with  foreigners  was  becoming  more  and 
more  frequent,  speaking  and  writing  English  were 
found  to  be  of  viral  importance.  Hence  in  1873  (the 


XII  THE  KEIO  GIJUKU.  77 

sixth  year  of  Meiji),  two  Americans  were  engaged  as 
teachers.  Since  then,  the  school  has  had  continuously 
in  its  service  a  larger  or  smaller  number  of  foreign 
teachers.  Not  long  afterwards,  by  the  advice  of  the 
Americans,  the  Keio  Gijuku  was  organized  into  a 
college  on  almost  the  same  footing  as  American 
colleges.  Mathematics,  physics,  chemistry,  botany, 
political  economy,  history,  law,  and  other  common 
branches  were  included  in  the  curriculum.  English, 
however,  continued  to  be  the  most  important  subject* 

In  1874  (the  seventh  year  of  Meiji),  a  Primary 
Department  for  children  was  attached  to  the  Keio 
Gijuku. 

In  the  spring  of  1875  (the  eighth  year  of  Meiji), 
an  auditorium  was  built  close  by  the  school-building, 
the  training  for  speaking  and  debating  having  been 
found  to  be  an  important  part  in  a  complete  educa- 
tion. Here  teachers  and  students  might  speak  on 
any  subject  and  they  met  two  or  three  times  a 
month  for  speaking  and  debating.  Such  meetings 
continue  to  be  held  to  this  day.  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
spoke  at  almost  every  meeting.  The  students  could 
not  receive  his  personal  instruction  in  the  class-room. 
It  was  only  in  the  auditorium  that  they  could  enjoy 
the  privilege  of  hearing  his  opinions.  His  profound 


78  /  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHA*>. 

thougts,  his  ideas  regarding  the  secrets  of  how  to 
get  on  in  the  world,  his  opinions  on  literature,  finance, 
and  a  great  variety  of  other  subjects,  found  expres- 
sion in  the  auditorium.  His  addresses  exercised  a 
most  profound  influence  over  the  education,  ideals, 
and  character  of  the  students. 

A  word  about  the  origin  of  public  speaking  in 
Japan  may  not  here  be  out  of  place.  Strange  to  say, 
the  Japanese  had  not  known  the  art  of  public  speak- 
ing before  Meiji.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  introduced  this  art 
into  Japan  ;  and  the  Keio  Gijuku  auditorium  was  the 
first  building  of  its  kind  constructed  within  the  coun- 
try. In  the  spring  of  1873  (the  sixth  year  of  Meiji), 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  came  across  a  small  treatise  on  the 
art  of  public  speaking.  As  he  thought  that  it  would 
be  a  great  benefit  to  introduce  the  art  to  the  Japanese 
public,  he  translated  and  published  this  booklet.  He 
experienced,  he  says,  no  small  difficulty  in  rendering 
the  words,  "  speech  ",  "  debate,"  "  pass,"  "  reject," 
and  "  second."  He  and  his  disciples  proceeded  to 
apply  the  theories  set  forth  in  the  book.  By  means 
of  assiduous  practice,  they  became  able  to  present 
their  views  to  a  public  audience  in  a  clear,  convincing 
and  attractive  form.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
derived  great  profit,  in  the  way  of  indirect  sugges- 


XII  THE  KEIO  G1JUKU  79 

tion,  from  listening  to  a  famaus  story-teller  named 
Hakuyen.  With  the  ardent  desire  to  extend  the 
knowledge  and  the  practice  of  the  art  of  public  speak- 
ing throughout  the  Empire,  he  and  his  followers 
endeavored  to  persuade  their  friends  to  follow  their 
example.  But  the  new  art  gained  few  devotees. 
There  was  at  this  time  a  society  of  scholars  known 
as  the  "  Meirokusha  "  of  which  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  a 
member.  Here  the  champion  urged  the  claims  of 
public  speaking,  but  his  advocacy  was  all  in  vain. 
Arinori  Mori,  an  earnest  advocate  of  Western  learn- 
ing who  afterwards  became  Minister  of  Education, 
ventured  the  opinion  that  the  Western  custom  of 
public  speaking  was  practicable  only  in  the  Western 
languages  ;  that  Japanese  was  suitable  only  for  con- 
versation and  was  quite  inadequate  for  addressing 
public  bodies.  To  this  Mr.  Fukuzawa  replied,  "  Is  it 
possible  that  one  can  converse  freely  in  one's  mother 
tongue  and  yet  cannot  speak  before  an  audience  p 
Certainly  Japan  has  long  been  familiar  with  what 
may  fairly  be  called  a  kind  of  public  speaking.  The 
bonzes  and  story-tellers  often  address  large  audiences. 
Surely  then  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  we  schol- 
ars can  do  as  well  as  they."  This  was  his  argument; 
but  he  spoke  to  deaf  ears.  Some  days  later,  the 


80  /  A//-'/-:  or  M>.   YUKICHI  PUKUZAWA.          CHAI-. 

same  society  met  again.  Among  the  topics  of  con- 
versation was  the  new  art  ;  and  again  the  majority 
spoke  of  it  discouragingly.  Then  the  dauntless  cham- 
pion hit  upon  a  clever  expedient.  He  said  to  his 
friends  in  an  artless  way,  "  Gentlemen,  1  have  some- 
thing to  tell  you.  Will  you  please  give  me  a  mo- 
ment ?"  They  assented  and  he  went  on  :  "  Pray,  be 
seated  on  both  sides  of  this  table;  I  will  speak  here." 
Then  he  rose  at  one  end  of  the  table  and  began  to 
speak  about  the  Formosan  Expedition  which  was 
the  burning  question  of  the  day.  He  continued  for 
about  an  hour  very  fluently,  and  they  listened  with 
unflagging  attention.  When  he  finished  he  took  his 
seat  and  asked  them  whether  they  had  understood 
him.  They  answered  that  they  had  heard  him  with 
much  interest  and  had  understood  him  perfectly. 
"  Well,  then,"  said  Mr.  Fukuzawa  in  triumph,  "so 
you  see  you  are  quite  wrong  in  saying  that  one  can 
not  speak  in  Japanese  before  an  audience.  I  have 
been  speaking  in  Japanese,  and  you  have  all  under- 
stood me.  Isn't  that  a  speech  ?  So  let  us  hear  no 
more  arguments  against  public  speaking  hereafter." 
They  were  all  struck  dumb,  and  from  that  day  the 
battle  was  won.  Since  then  the  practice  of  public 


XII  THE  KEIO  GIJUKU.  81 

speaking  gradually  became  more  and  more  general 
throughout  the  country. 

In  1890  (the  twenty-third  year  of  Meiji),  a 
University  Department  with  the  three  courses  in 
Literature,  Law,  and  Economics,  and  a  Commercial 
Department  were  established.  Then  His. Majesty 
the  Emperor  graciously  made  a  contribution  to  the 
funds,  in  recognition  of  the  services  rendered  by  the 
institution  to  the  cause  of  learning.  Following  the 
Imperial  example;  many  other  persons  who  were 
interested  in  the  Keio  Gijuku  also  generously  con- 
tributed to  the  Endowment  Fund. 

The  Keio  Gijuku  is  now  the  greatest  private 
institution  in  Japan  and  its  students  number  about 
1,700. 

A  constant  cause  of  trouble  to  this  institution 
has  been  the  state  of  its  finances.  There  has 
been  collected  more  or  less  of  a  maintenance  fund, 
but  the  interest  of  this  alone  is  of  course  total- 
ly inadequate  for  meeting  the  current  expenses 
and  for  making  improvements  which  from  time  to 
time  become  necessary.  The  consequent  necessity 
in- the  past  of  drawing  on  the  fund  itself  and  the 
possibility -of  still  further  encroachments  on  It  in  the 
future  have  naturally  created  serious  anxiety  for  t-he 


82  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUK1CHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

future  of  the  institution.  Hence  the  Keio  Gijuku  is 
now  appealing  to  the  public  for  pecuniary  contribu- 
tions. It  is  hoped  and  confidently  expected  that  the 
public  may  be  sufficiently  appreciative  and  generous 
to  contribute  the  funds  which  are  necessary  to  per- 
petuate this  useful  and  appropriate  monument  to  a 
noble  and  unselfish  man. 

Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AND  THE  KEIO 
GIJUKU  STUDENTS. 

The  Keio  Gijuku  was  at  its  beginning  a  home 
school;  and  although  it  developed  into  a  large  institu- 
tion, it  still  retained  the  essence  of  a  home  school, 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  being  the  spirit  of  it  to  his  last  day. 
His  influence  over  the  students  was  boundless.  It  is 
no  exaggeration  to  say  that  there  was  no  student  in 
it  but  became  before  graduation  a  Fukuzawa  in  ideas, 
feelings,  opinions,  principles,  and  character.  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  was,  as  it  were,  a  second  father  to  every 
student.  He  loved  them  with  all  his  heart,  and  treat- 
ed them  as  he  treated  his  own  children.  They  enter- 
tained the  same  affection  towards  him  that  they  did 
towards  their  parents.  When  students  called  on 
him,  he  met  them  gladly  and  joyfully  talked  with 
them.  He  would  tell  his  wife  or  any  member  of  his 


XU  THE  KEIO  GIJUKU.  83 

family  who  happened  to  be  near  him,  to  "  give  these 
lads  some  sweetmeats"  ;  and  would  tell  the  young 
visitors  to  make  themselves  at  home.  When  students 
called  on  him  for  the  first  time,  he  would  inquire 
about  their  birth-places,  their  social  standing,  the 
wealth  and  professions  of  their  parents,  their  ages, 
their  health,  and  their  aims  in  life.  He  would  ask, 
*'  Are  you  healthy?  Is  your  father  rich  or  poor? 
Have  you  any  tact  in  dealing  with  people?"  These 
questions  he  asked  in  order  to  make  them  think  about 
their  future.  The  following  anecdote  shows  how  he 
loved  his  students.  One  day  a  certain  lieutenant- 
general  who  was  quite  a  stranger  called  to  see 
him.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  his  servant  inquire  whether 
the  visitor  had  any  letter  of  introduction.  The  gen- 
eral had  none.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  declined  to  see  him. 
The  general  was  offended  and  thought,  "  I  am  a 
high  officer  of  the  Empire.  He  ought  to  know  me 
by  reputation.  He  is  very  impolite  in  declining  to 
see  me."  But  he  thought  again,  "Oh,  I  am  mistaken. 
He  is  a  great  man  and  his  refusing  to  see  me  without 
any  letter  of  introduction  is  not  unreasonable.  For- 
tunately I  know  a  student  in  his  college.  So  I  had 
better  get  myself  introduced  to  him  by  the  student." 
He  called  on  Mr.  Fukuzawa  again  accompanied  by 


84  /  UFE  OP  Mr.   YUKfCHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

the  student.  This  time  he  was  gladly  welcomed  by 
Air.  Fukuzavva  and  a  pleasant  conversation  was  car- 
ried on  between  them  for  hours. 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  KEIO 
GIJUKU  MEN. 

About  1 2,000  men  have  attended  the  Keio  Gijuku 
since  its  establishment  and  about  3,000  of  them 
have  graduated.  They  have  engaged  in  different 
lines  of  work.  Some  of  them  are  statesmen  ;  some 
are  journalists  ;  some  are  educators  ;  some  are  govern- 
ment officials  ;  and  a  considerable  number  of  them 
are  business  men.  During  the  first  years  of  its  exist- 
ence, they  fought  against  the  antiquated  principles 
of  the  Chinese  system  of  education  and  did  their 
best  in  introducing  Western  knowledge  and  Western 
methods  of  education.  During  this  period  the  Keio 
Gijuku  made  thinkers  who  were  needed  by  the  times; 
and  most  of  them  worked  as  educators  and  scholars. 
The  public  regarded  the  Keio  Gijuku  as  the  sole 
agency  concerned  in  introducing  new  knowledge  from 
the  West.  When  the  new  government,  contrary  to 
expectations  of  the  people,  began  to  adopt  despotic 
measures,  the  Keio  Gijuku  men  exerted  themselves 
with  a  view  to  correct  the  government  policy.  They 


XII  THE  KEIO  GIJUKU.  8j 

argued  against  these  oppressive  measures  and  sought, 
by  instructing  the  political  leaders,  to  win  them  over 
to  a  liberal  policy.  During  that  time,  the  Keio  Gijuku 
sent  out  many  earnest  politicians  and  champions  of 
the  people's  rights.  The  government  yielded  to  the 
demands  of  the  people  and  granted  liberty  of  speech 
and  public  discussion.  Finally  a  constitution  was 
promulgated  and  it  was  declared  that  a  Diet  should 
be  established  to  represent  the  various  interests  of 
the  nation.  Then  the  people  became  too  enthusiastic 
in  their  devotion  to  politics,  and  most  men  of  ability, 
sought  occupation  only  in  the  public  service.  Con- 
sequently the  various  economic  interests  which  are 
the  source  of  national  prosperity  and  which  depend 
upon  private  initiative  began  to  suffer.  Then  the 
Keio  Gijuku  men  began  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
public  to  the  prime  importance  of  business  interests, 
and  most  of  them  have  been  devoting  themselves  to 
the  development  of  commerce  and  industries.  Nine 
out  of  ten  Keio  Gijuku  students  of  the  present  day 
aim  at  becoming  business  men.  Almost  half  of  the 
important  positions  in  banks,  manufactories,  com- 
mercial firms  in  Japan,  are  filled  by  the  Keio  Gijuku 
alumni ;  and  they  are  succeeding  well.  In  the  spirit 
of  independence  and  self-respect,  in  common  sense, 


86  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

in  the  spirit  of  forbearance,  in  freedom  from  formal- 
ism, in  the  tactful  dealing  with  people,  in  practical 
morality,  in  the  ability  to  seize  opportunities — in 
these  qualities  which  are  essential  to  business  men, 
they  have  no  superiors.  These  qualities  are  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  Keio  Gijuku  men  in  general.  In  a 
word,  each  of  them  is  a  small  Fukuzawa.  Although 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  is  now  dead,  his  spirit  and  principles 
are  kept  alive  by  them  ;  and  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  Keio  Gijuku  will  continue  to  be  as 
prosperous  as  it  was  during  his  life. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MH.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  WRITER. 

MR.  Fukuzawa's  career  as  a  writer  was  com- 
menced in  1860  (the  first  year  of  Banyen)  and 
continued  down  to  1899  (the  32nd  year  of  Meiji),  that 
is  two  years  before  his  death,  the  interval  being  a 
long  period  of  forty  years.  His  writings  cover  a 
wide  range  of  subjects  in  language,  science,  politics, 
religion,  and  morals.  Scarcely  an  important  topic  of 
human  interest  was  left  untouched  by  him.  He 
wrote  fifty-five  works  in  more  than  one  hundred 
volumes,  not  to  speak  of  numerous  articles  inserted 


XIII  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  WRITER.  87 

in   the  Jiji  Shimpd  and  many  other  essays  not  yet 
published. 

His  books  were  all  published  at  his  own  cost. 
The  proceeds  from  his  writings  constituted  during 
forty  years  his  sole  income  ;  yet  he  thereby  earned 
enough  to  support  in  ease  and  comfort  his  large 
family. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  wrote  with  a  view  to  break  down 
the  ideas,  beliefs,  and  customs  of  the  Old  Japan,  and 
to  substitute  as  a  foundation  for  the  New  Japan  the 
principles  of  Western  civilization.  His  object  was 
thoroughly  to  Westernize  the  nation  as  a  whole,  and 
in  the  attainment  of  this  object  the  measure  of  his 
success  was  remarkable.  Unlike  most  of  his  con- 
temporaries, he  wrote  for  the  people  in  general  and 
not  chiefly  for  students  and  for  the  upper  classes. 
Such  being  his  purpose,  he  created  a  style  of  his  own 
which  is  singularly  adapted  to  people  of  every  class. 
It  combines  in  a  most  striking  manner  great  lucidity 
and  extreme  simplicity.  Prof.  Dening  says  of  his 
style  :  "  To  deal  with  difficult  subjects  in  a  way  that 
makes  them  perfectly  intelligible  to  the  most  ordinary 
comprehension — this  requires  special  gifts — gifts  with 
which  only  a  Very  few  people  in  any  age  or  any 
country  are  endowed.  No  matter  on  what  subject 


88  ./  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUK'ICHl  FUKV/.AWA.          CHAP. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  wrote,  there  was  striking  lucidity 
about  all  he  said.  As  a  foreigner  I  may  say  that  I 
know  no  Japanese  writer  whom  it  is  easier  to  under- 
stand than  Mr.  Fukuzawa." 

In  the  ability  to  treat  profound  and  complicated 
subjects  in  plain  language,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  no 
equal.  His  style  is  not  only  lucid  and  simple  but  it 
has  also  vigor  and  charm.  Humor  and  sarcasm  also 
appear  in  his  writings.  It  is  a  special  characteristic 
of  his  style  that  where  vulgar  and  obscene  things 
must  be  mentioned,  they  are  spoken  of  in  elegant 
language.  In  the  happy  use  of  similes  and  apt 
illustrations,  his  writings  have  never  been  surpassed. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Chushii  Mishima,  the  celebrated 
scholar  and  writer,  whenever  lecturing  on  composition 
and  rhetoric,  cites  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  style  as  the  most 
perfect  in  the  use  of  felicitous  illustrations.  In 
consequence  of  its  simplicity  and  clearness,  its  vigor 
and  directness,  its  ease  and  charm,  its  imagery  and 
elegance,  the  "  Fukuzawa  style  "  or  "  Mita  style  "  is 
justly  famed  throughout  the  Empire.  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
may  therefore  be  truly  designated  the  greatest 
Japanese  writer  of  his  time. 

.    Mr.    Fukuzawa   owed,   as   he.  confesses   in    his 
Autobiography,  much  for  his  style -to  -suggestions  of 


XIII  Mr.   FUKUZAWA  AS  A   WRITER.  8g 

his  master  Koan  Ogata.  The  latter,  when  translating 
Dutch,  grasped  only  the  general  idea  and  did  not 
trouble  himself  about  minor  points,  intelligibility 
being  his  all  important  principle.  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
was  once  translating  a  work  on  fortification  by  a 
Dutchman.  His  master  said  to  him,  "  You  must  bear 
in  mind  that  you  are  translating  a  book  for  the 
military  classes  which  are  as  a  rule  illiterate  and 
ignorant.  So  you  must  be  careful  not  to  use  difficult 
expressions  ;  and  you  are  advised  not  to  consult  any 
Chinese  dictionary  lest  you  may  be  tempted  to 
employ  difficult  words."  This  advice  became  the 
guiding  principle  with  Mr.  Fukuzawa  in  writing  and 
translation.  He  endeavored  as  far  as  possible  not  to 
make  use  of  cumbrous  Chinese  characters  which  most 
writers  take  pride  in  using.  Sometimes  he  had  his 
manuscripts  read  to  illiterate  women  and  children, 
and  wherever  they  could  not  understand,  he  found 
some  difficult  phrases  which  he  without  hesitation 
changed  into  easier  ones. 

The  very  first  book  written  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
was  "  Vocabulary  and  Phrases  in  English,  Chinese, 
and  Japanese"  which  appeared  in  the  autumn  of  1860 
(the  first  year  of  Banyen).  It  was  by  the  publication 
rt'Seiyd  Jijo  or  "Things  Western"  that  he  became 


go  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHl FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

known  throughout  the  Empire  as  an  author.  This 
work  consists  of  three  volumes,  of  which  the  first 
was  brought  out  in  July,  1866  (the  second  year  of 
Keio),  the  second  in  the  winter  of  the  following  year, 
and  the  last  in  the  autumn  of  1869  (the  second  year 
of  Meiji).  The  subjects  treated  in  the  first  volume 
are :  the  forms  of  government,  methods  of  taxation, 
national  debts,  postal  systems,  paper  money,  firms, 
foreign  intercourse,  military  system,  literature  and 
the  arts,  schools,  libraries,  newspapers,  hospitals, 
poor-houses,  asylums  for  mutes  and  for  the  blind, 
lunatic  asylums,  kindergartens,  museums,  exhibitions, 
steam  engines,  steamships,  railways,  telegraphs,  and 
gas-lights.  In  addition,  it  contains  much  historical 
information  about  the  governments,  armies,  navies 
and  finances  of  the  chief  Western  countries.  The 
second  volume  is  a  translation  of  Chambers'  "Political 
Economy"  and  of  two  or  three  other  works  on  the 
same  subject.  The  third  volume  is  a  translation  of 
portions  of  Blackstone's  "Commentaries  on  the  Laws 
of  England"  and  of  the  section  on  "Taxation"  in 
Wayland's  "Elements  of  Political  Economy."  The 
contents  of  the  first  volume  are  simple  and  rather 
shallow  descriptions  of  the  things  in  the  West  which 
are  now-a-days  familiar  even  to  school-boys.  For 


XIII  Mr.  PUKUZAWA  AS  A  WRITER.  gi 

example,  the  chapter  on  '•  Newspapers"  begins  thus: 
"  Newspapers  are  publications  issued  by  companies 
for  general  circulation,  intended  to  convey  intelligence 
of  current  events."  But  since  no  such  book  had 
previously  been  published  in  Japan,  these  things  were 
quite  novel  to  the  Japanese.  Hence  the  first  volume 
was  welcomed  by  the  public  with  such  great 
enthusiasm  that  182,000  copies  of  it  were  quickly 
sold — a  sale  that  was  quite  extraordinary  for  a 
Japanese  book.  Since  authors  in  Japan  did  not  at 
that  time  enjoy  the  strict  protection  of  copy-right 
laws,  some  cunning  publishers  in  Osaka  and  Kyoto 
printed  and  sold  pirated  copies  to  the  number  of  at 
least  100,000.  No  other  book  ever  contributed  so 
much  towards  opening  the  eyes  of  our  countrymen 
who  had  been  quite  ignorant  of  affairs  in  the  outside 
world.  Even  conservative  patriots  and  ignorant 
rdnins  whose  motto  had  been  to  "expel  the  hairy 
barbarians"  began  to  modify  their  proposal  after  the 
appearance  of  this  book.  Afterwards,  when  the 
leaders  of  the  new  government  decided  to  adopt  a 
progressive  policy  and  while  they  were  yet  ignorant 
of  practical  methods  of  procedure,  they  found  in  this 
book  important  help  and  guidance.  Indeed  "Things 


92  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKKHl  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

Western"  was,  as  it  were,  a  pillar  of  fire  illuminating 
the  darkness  of  general  ignorance. 

"How  to  Handle  the  Rifle"  appeared  in  Sep- 
tember, 1866  (the  second  year  of  Keioj.  The  signal 
victory  of  the  Choshu  clan  in  the  battle  against  the 
Bakufu  had  been  gained  chiefly  by  rifles.  Having 
heard  of  this,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  thought  that  the  rifle 
would  after  a  few  years  come  into  general  use. 
Fortunately  he  found  an  English  book  "On  the  Use 
of  the  Rifle."  He  was  eager  to  translate  it,  but  he 
was  not  equal  to  the  task  ;  for,  though  born  in  a 
military  class,  he  had  never  even  seen  a  rifle  and 
consequently  had  no  idea  about  the  use  of  fire-arms. 
But  fortunately  a  younger  brother  of  his  wife  was 
then  learning  the  art  of  firing  the  rifle.  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa  had  this  youth  bring  his  rifle,  and,  by  the  aid 
of  directions  in  the  book,  he  took  the  rifle  to  pieces 
and  again  put  it  together.  After  he  had  in  this  way 
obtained  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  rifle,  he 
immediately  set  to  work  to  translate  the  book.  As 
this  little  book  supplied  a  need  of  the  time,  many 
thousand  copies  of  the  translation  were  sold.  About 
twenty  years  later  when  the  translator  met  at  the 
Koishikawa  arsenal  Major-general  Murata,'  the  in- 
ventor of-  the-  celebrated  "Murata  rifle,"  the  latter 


XIII  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  WKfTER.  93 

said  to  him,  "In  my  youth  when  I  began  to  learn 
gunnery,  I  got  much  instruction  from  your  work 
"  How  to  Handle  the  Rifle." 

During  the  two  years  ending  in  August,  1869 
(the  second  year  of  Meiji),  the  following  books  were 
brought  out  :  A  Guide  to  Travelling  in  the  Western 
Countries ;  The  Eleven  Treaty  Powers ;  Clothes, 
Food,  and  Utensils  in  the  West  ;  Elements  of  Physics 
Illustrated  ;  the  Western  Tactics  ;  A  Bird's  Eye  View 
of  the  Nations  in  the  World  ;  The  Intercourse  be- 
tween China  and  England  ;  the  English  Parliament  ; 
the  World's  Geography. 

Two  of  these  may  be  singled -out  as  worthy  of 
special  mention. 

Elements  of  Physics  Illustrated,  which  was 
published  in  the  autumn  of  1868,  is  a  translation  of 
some  English  and  American  authors ;  but  the  il- 
lustrations therein  are  all  taken  from  things  Japanese, 
and  the  phraseology  is  extremely  easy.  It  is  the 
first  book  of  the  kind  written  in  such  simple  Japanese; 
so  that  it  was  very  extensively  read.  Perhaps  there 
has  never  been  in  Japan  any  other  book  which  has 
contributed  so  much  to  popularize  the  principles  of 
physics.  Speaking  of  the  reasons  for  writing  this 
work,  the  author  says,  "When  the  country  was  opened 


94  --f   UFE  OF  Mr.   VUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP- 

to  foreign  intercourse,  it  was  an  ardent  desire  with 
us,  scholars  of  Western  learning,  to  convert  the 
masses  of  the  people  to  progressive  principles.  As 
champions  of  the  Western  civilization,  we  endeavored 
to  demonstrate  the  real  merits  of  its  fundamental 
principles  as  well  as  to  expose  the  weaknesses  of 
Chinese  doctrines.  We  tried  every  means  in  our 
power  for  this  purpose  and  none  was  more  effectual 
than  to  persuade  the  ignorant  by  teaching  them  the 
principles  of  physics  which  do  not  admit  gainsaying. 
It  seems  to  me  that  every  man  young  or  old  who, 
having  once  read  a  book  on  physics  or  having  heard 
its  principles  explained,  believes  the  truths  of  the 
science  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  must  become  a 
thorough  devotee  to  Western  knowledge  and  can 
never  return  to  the  old  faith  in  Chinese  doctrines. 
This  having  been  proved  by  our  experience,  we 
determined  to  instruct  the  masses  of  the  people  in 
the  principles  of  physics  as  the  first  means  of  winning 
them  to  our  cause.  But  as  it  was  a  thing  never 
dreamed  of  to  make  the  innumerable  people  stud)' 
the  science  in  the  original  languages,  the  only  way 
left  us  was  to  provide  them  with  translations. 
There  had,  indeed,  been  publishsd  some  transla- 
tions on  physics  before  this  time  ;  but  they  were  too 


XIII  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  WRITEK.  95 

elegant  and  difficult  in  style  for  common  people. 
These  reasons  induced  me  to  translate  this  work." 

The  "World's  Geography"  was  published  in  the 
spring  of  1869  (the  second  year  of  Meiji).  The 
author's  purpose  being  to  "make  all  the  people  as 
familiar  with  the  names  and  situations  of  the 
countries  in  the  world  as  they  are  with  those  of  the 
provinces  in  their  own  country,"  it  was  written  in  a 
style  suited  to  general  readers.  Consequently  it  was 
read  very  extensively,  earnest  readers  being  found 
especially  among  school-boys. 

"Encouragement  of  Learning"  in  seventeen 
volumes  was  published  one  volume  after  another 
between  the  spring  of  1872  (the  fifth  year  of  Meiji) 
and  November,  1876  (the  ninth  year  of  Meiji).  The 
principles  maintained  in  the  work  being  quite  new  to 
the  Japanese,  it  had  so  wide  a  circulation  that  no 
less  than  220,000  copies  of  the  first  volume  were 
sold.  In  this  work  Mr.  Fukuzawa  attacked  the 
errors  of  Chinese  doctrines  and  for  the  first  time 
clearly  and  boldly  advocated  the  essential  principles 
of  the  Western  civilization.  Mere  forms  of  the 
\Vestern  civilization  were  treated  in  his  previous 
works  ;  this  work  was  a  gospel  of  its  essence  and 
spirit.  He  taught  that  "Heaven  does  not  make  one 


96  /   LfFK  OF  Mr.    \f  UK  1C  HI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

man  above  another  nor  one  man  under  another.  All 
men  are  born  equal  in  rank  and  rights  ;  "  that  the 
difference  in  their  circumstances  is  caused  mainly  by 
their  learning  or  ignorance  ;  learning  is  the  only  way 
to  wealth  and  honor.  "Heaven  does  not  give 
wealth  and  honor  to  men  but  to  their  merits." 
But  by  learning  he  does  not  mean  the  knowledge  of 
difficult  words  and  verse-making  which  were  over- 
estimated by  Chinese  scholars,  but  such  knowledge 
as  has  close  relations  with  practical  life.  The 
government  being  a  mere  representative  of  the 
people,  its  officials  have  no  right  to  look  down  on  the 
people.  Individual  liberty  is  sacred  and  inviolable^ 
"  If,  therefore,  officials  interfere  with  this  right,  the 
people  must  remonstrate  with  them."  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa  attacks  despotic  rule  which  is  a  characteristic 
of  Confucianists,  on  the  ground  that  it  makes  the 
people  helpless  and  irresponsible.  Individual  inde- 
pendence is  the  foundation  of  national  independence 
and  prosperity.  In  deploring  the  helplessness  and 
servility  of  the  people  in  general  he  says,  "  Having 
been  oppressed  by  despotism  during  hundreds  of 
years,  our  countrymen  have  become  servile,  ignorant, 
helpless,  dishonest,  and  destitute  of  a  spirit  of 
independence  and  honor.  They  have  almost  no 


XIII  Mr.  f-UKUZAWA  AS  A  WRITER.  yj 

interest  in  affairs  of  the  state.  They  do  not  know 
how  to  assert  their  own  rights  ;  and  they  rely  upon 
the  government  in  every  thing.  Even  those  who  are 
professedly  trained  according  to  the  principles  of 
Western  civilization — almost  all  of  them  are  busy 
with  hunting  for  places  and  do  not  even  try  private 
undertakings.  They  well  know  how  to  act  as  rulers 
but  are  quite  incapable  of  acting  as  private  citizens. 
They  are  not  free  from  the  evils  which  pertain  to  the 
Chinese  system.  They  are,  so  to  speak,  Confucian- 
ists  clad  in  the  external  garb  of  Western  civilization. 
It  can  be  safely  said  that  there  is  in  Japan  only  the 
government  and  that  there  is  no  nation.  Promoting 
Japan's  civilization,  maintaining  her  independence, 
leading  this  helpless  nation,  realizing  their  rights,  and 
removing  the  evils  of  the  Old  Japan — all  this  is  the 
mission  left  to  us  (Mr.  Fukuzawa  and  his  followers). 
It  is  our  resolve  to  act  the  part  of  social  reformers. 
Let  us  be  up  and  doing."  How  great  were  the 
impressions  made  upon  the  people  by  these  sugges- 
tions it  would  be  difficult  to  overestimate.  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  thus  sowed  the  seeds  which  subsequently 
matured  into  the  agitations  for  extending  the  people's 
rights.  To  him  is  owed  the  honor  of  being  the  very 
first  advocate  of  the  people's  rights.  While  thus 


98  A  LIFE  OF  .Mr.   YUKICIIl  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

urging  the  people's  rights,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  did  not 
neglect  teaching  the  inviolability  of  state  laws. 
He  emphasizes  the  duty  of  the  people  to  obey  the 
government  and  national  laws,  and  speaks  of  the 
wrong  of  private  punishment  and  of  the  assassination 
of  political  opponents.  In  the  way  of  illustration,  he 
criticises  the  vengeance  of  the  famous  forty-seven 
ronins  of  Akao  on  the  enemy  of  their  dead  lord. 
Avenging  the  death  of  one's  master  or  father  by 
killing  his  enemy  had  for  centuries  been  recognized 
by  public  opinion  as  morally  right  and  even 
laudable.  At  certain  periods  murder  of  this  kind 
had  even  been  permitted  under  government  license. 
One  who  had  avenged  the  death  of  his  master  or 
father  had  been  universally  admired.  Special  admira- 
tion, even  adoration,  was  accorded  to  the  rdnins  of 
Akao.  Consequently  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  argument  was 
extensively  regarded  as  sacrilege.  Another  argument, 
however,  occasioned  still  greater  popular  excitement. 
Speaking  of  the  proper  attitude  to  be  taken  by  a 
people  in  case  their  government  becomes  extremely 
tyrannical,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  says,  "The  people  must 
not  stoop  to  such  a  government,  but  at  the  same 
time  it  is  not  advisable  to  resist  it  by  force.  The 
best  way  left  for  patriots  is  individually  to  remon- 


XIII  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A   WRITER.  gg 

strate  against  the  tyranny,  determined  to  die  martyrs. 
The  death  of  a  martyr  is  truly  worth  death.  But 
so-called  'Loyal  Retainers,'  much  talked  of  in  Japan, 
are  not  martyrs.  They  did  not  fight  for  the  sake 
of  social  well-being,  but  for  their  master's  interests. 
Some  of  them  died  simply  in  a  war  between  two 
imperial  dynasties  which  were  contending  for  supreme 
power,  and  their  death  did  not  contribute  anything 
to  the  advancement  of  civilization.  They  died  in  vain. 
They  may  be  likened,  so  far  as  their  mode  of  death 
is  concerned,  to  an  honest  servant  who,  having  lost 
on  the  way  of  an  errand  a  sum  of  money  entrusted 
him  by  his  master,  has  killed  himself  as  an  apology 
to  his  master.  In  my  judgment  Sogoro  Sakura*  is 

*  S6gord  Sakura  was  a  village  head  in  the  clan  of  Sakura  in  the 
province  of  Shim&sa  who  lived  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 
The  lord  of  Sakura  being  an  imbecile,  the  clan  administration  was  in  the 
hands  of  some  knavish  officials,  who,  in  order  to  enrich  themselves, 
increased  the  weight  of  taxes  to  such  an  extravagant  extent  that  the 
peasants  were  driven  to  the  verge  of  starvation.  Sogoro,  who  was  a 
public-spirited  and  chivalrous  man,  determined  to  risk  life,  and  all  that 
was  dear  to  him,  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  his  fellow-peasants.  He,  in 
conjunction  with  the  heads  of  all  the  other  villages  in  the  clan,  repeatedly 
petitioned  the  clan  authorities  for  abatement  of  the  rate  of  taxes  but  in 
vain.  He,  then,  proceeded  to  Yedo  and  presented  to  the  Shogun  a 
memorial  protesting  against  the  tyranny  of  his  lord.  Even  to  protest 
was  at  that  time  a  capital  offence.  Hence,  S6goro  was  crucified  and  his 
four  children  were  decapitated  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude  of 
sympathizing  spectators.  But  his  protest  had  the  des-red  effect :  the 
burdens  of  his  fellow-peasants  were  lightened. 


ioo  //,//•'/•:  o I'  Mr.    YVKZCtttfV&UZAWA.  CHAP. 

the  only  martyr  in  Japan."  This  argument  was 
exceedingly  shocking  to  his  countrymen  who  consider 
loyalty  to  the  Imperial  house  as  the  culmination  of 
virtue.  Since  the  people  interpreted  his  argument 
as  applicable  to  the  much  glorified  death  of  Masa- 
shige  Kusunoki,**  the  ideal  type  of  loyalty,  it  was 
considered  a  gross  insult  to  the  loyalty  and  patriotism 
of  the  Japanese.  Popular  indignation  became 
intense.  Most  of  the  Tokyo  newspapers  assailed 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  with  bitter  adverse  criticism,  and  he 
was  often  spoken  of  as  a  "traitor."  Towards  the 
close  of  1874  (the  seventh  year  of  Meiji),  attacks  and 
slander  reached  their  climax  and  he  was  deluged  with 


**  At  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Go-Daigo  (who 
reigned  1319 — 1339),  the  throne  and  the  nation  were  alike  trampled 
under  foot  by  the  Hqjo  "  Regent  "  at  Kamakura.  The  Emperor  under- 
took to  overthrow  the  military  usurpation  at  Kamakura  and  a  number 
of  loyal  patriots  came  to  his  help.  Among  them  Masashige  Kusunoki, 
also  called  Nanko,  is  most  celebrated.  His  military  valor  and  his 
unswerving  loyalty  to  the  throne  inspired  many  warriors  to  loyal 
exertions  and  in  consequence  the  Imperialists  gradually  increased  in 
power,  until  they  were  able,  in  1333,  to  destroy  the  Hqjo  family.  But  the 
Emperor  was  not  destined  long  to  enjoy  in  peace  his  supreme  power. 
Takauji  Ashikaga,  who  desired  to  become  shogun  and  to  usurp  supreme 
power,  raised  a  standard  of  rebellion  and  mustered  a  large  army.  At 
the  head  of  this  army,  he  marched  against  Kyoto.  Kusunoki  proposed 
to  the  Emperor  an  ingenious  plan  of  operations,  but  unfortunately  it 
was  rejected  and  his  advice  ignored.  He  was  compelled  to  bear  the 
brunt  of  battle  against  overwhelming  forces  at  Minatogawa,  near  Hyogo, 


XIII  Mr.  PUKUZAWA  AS  A   WRITER.  101 

letters  of  menace.  Even  many  of  his  friends  advised 
him  publicly  to  renounce  his  opinion.  He  was 
constantly  exposed  to  the  imminent  risk  of  assassina- 
tion. He  thereupon  wrote  to  one  of  the  most 
important  Tokyo  newspapers,  the  Clioya  Shimbun, 
under  an  assumed  name,  a  long  article  in  which  he 
most  eloquently  defended  his  former  argument. 
This  defence  proved  effective,  and  popular  clamor 
gradually  subsided. 

In  1872  (the  fifth  year  of  Meiji),  the  lunar 
calendar  was  abolished  and  the  Gregorian  system 
adopted  by  the  government  ;  but  the  people  in 
general  did  not  know  the  reasons  for  the  change. 
Then  Mr.  Fukuzawa  wrote  "On  the  Change  of  the 

and  was  there  hopelessly  defeated.  He  and  a  little  band  of  personal 
followers  killed  themselves  rather  than  surrender.  Then  Ashikaga 
entered  the  Imperial  capital  with  a  large  force  and  the  Emperor  was 
obliged  to  seek  safety  in  flight.  Thereupon  Ashikaga  set  an  Imperial 
prince  on  the  throne  and  he  himself  assumed  real  sovereignty.  But  as 
Go-Daigo  continued  to  be  recognized  by  many  as  the  rightful  sovereign, 
the  Imperial  power  was  split  into  two  rival  branches,  called  the  Southern 
(legitimate)  and  the  Northern  (usurping)  Courts. 

Masatsura,  the  son  of  Masashige,  and  some  other  loyal  patriots 
endeavored  to  restore  the  power  of  the  Southern  Court ;  but  after  sixty 
years  of  strife  and  misery,  the  Northern  Court  triumphed  in  1392,  the 
representative  of  the  Southern  dynasty  handing  over  to  it  the  Imperial 
regalia.  Go-Daigo  died  early  in  the  struggle. 

Masashige  Kusunoki  is  held  in  admiring  remembrance  to  this 
day  by  his  grateful  countrymen  as  the  model  of  loyalty  and  patriotic 
devotion. 


102  /  LIFE  OF  Mr.    Yl.'A'fCI/f  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

Calendar"  giving  an  explanation  for  the  change.  It 
was  a  very  small  book  consisting  of  about  ten  pages 
and  only  six  hours  were  spent  in  writing  it.  The 
price  was  a  few  sen  per  copy.  It  sold  so  well  that 
two  or  three  months  later  the  net  profit  amounted  to 
over  700  yen.  The  meditations  thereby  suggested 
to  the  author  he  himself  records  :  "I  am  surprised 
that  six  hours'  labor  should  earn  700  yen  \  Is  it 
right  for  a  scholar  to  get  so  large  an  amount  for  so 
little  labor?  "  Further  sale  during  two  or  three  more 
months  brought  the  total  income  of  the  author  from 
this  little  pamphlet  up  to  1,500  yen.  In  February, 
1873  (the  sixth  year  of  Meiji),  he  translated  a  work- 
on  book-keeping — the  very  first  book  of  the  kind 
ever  published  in  Japanese.  He  says,  ''Among  my 
works  this  one  gave  me  the  greatest  amount  of 
trouble  and  pains."  This  work  was  followed  by  the 
"Art  of  Public  Speaking"  to  which  reference  has 
been  already  made.* 

In  March,  1875  (the  8th  year  of  Meiji),  appeared 
"On  Civilization,"  which  sets  forth  the  true  signifi- 
cance of  civilization  and  gives  a  brief  history  of 
civilization  in  Europe  and  in  Japan.  Most  of  the 

*  See  the  chapter  on  the  Keio  Gijuku. 


XIII  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  WRITER.  103 

views  are  derived  from  Buckle's  and  Guizot's  works 
on  the  history  of  civilization  in  Europe.  Later 
works  published  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa  were  :  "Advice  to 
Scholars  ;  "  "  On  Decentralization  "  published  in 
November,  1876;  ''Political  Economy,  for  General 
Readers"  (November,  1877);  "Miscellaneous  Essays" 
(January,  1878);  "On  Currency"  (April,  1878):  "On 
the  People's  Rights,  for  General  Readers"  (April, 
1 878) ;  "On  the  Power  of  the  State,  for  General 
Readers"  (July,  1878);  "A  Suggestion  for  Political 
Reform"  (July,  1879) ;  "About  Current  Events"  (July, 
1881) ;  "The  Course  of  Events"  (1882);  and  "On  the 
Imperial  Court"  (May,  1882). 

With  the  exception  of  "  Political  Economy," 
"  Miscellaneous  Essays,"  and  "  On  Currency,"  the 
above  works  were  written  with  the  view  to  re-establish 
harmony  between  the  government  and  the  people, 
or  rather  disaffected  politicians  and  scholars,  between 
whom  bitter  antagonism  had  arisen. 

Since  the  adoption  of  a  progressive  policy,  the 
government  had  been  busy  with  political  and  social 
improvement.  The  measures  adopted  by  the  gov- 
ernment did  not,  however,  satisfy  political  enthusi- 
asts. After  it  was  proposed  by  Mr.  (afterwards 
Count)  Itagaki  and  others  to  open  a  national  as- 


io4  .\   LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  Fl-KUZAU'.l.  CHAP. 

sembly,  zealous  politicians  began,  both  through  the 
press  and  on  the  platform,  to  demand  an  extension 
of  the  people's  rights.  Exasperated  by  this  agita- 
tion, the  government  adopted  repressive  measures 
against  the  agitators.  A  bitter  antagonism  thus 
rapidly  developed  between  the  government  and  the 
professed  champions  of  the  people's  cause.  The  con- 
tention became  most  embittered  in  the  years  1875-6 
(eighth  and  ninth  of  Meiji).  With  a  view  to  bring 
about  a  better  understanding  and  to  re-establish 
harmony  between  the  parties  to  the  strife,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  wrote  "Advice  to  Scholars"  and  "On 
Decentralization."  In  the  former  work,  he  assured 
those  who  sought  to  secure  the  people's  rights  that 
the  government  also  shared  their  progressive  views. 
He  reproached  them  for  attacking  the  government 
merely  because  they  vainly  coveted  positions  in  it. 
He  added  that  the  duties,  activities,  and  opportuni- 
ties of  educated  men  were  not  confined  to  politics  ; 
but  that  industry,  commerce,  private  enterprises  of 
every  kind  demanded  with  equal  urgence  the  atten- 
tion of  such  men.  In  his  work  "  On  the  People's 
Rights,  for  General  Readers,"  he  said  that  the  rights 
of  the  people  could  not  be  realized  without  general 
advancement.  He  advised  the  champions  of  the 


XIII  Mr.  fUKUZAMA  AS  A   WKITEK.  105 

people's  cause  to  gain  independent  livelihood  and  to 
conduct  themselves  well,  before  they  advocated  the 
people's  rights.  In  "  A  Suggestion  for  Political 
Reform  "  (July,  1879),  he  said  that  both  progressive 
and  conservative  principles  were  indispensable  to  the 
attainment  of  true  political  progress  ;  that  the  only 
hope  to  preserve  national  peace  lay  in  adopting  a 
constitutional  government  similar  to  that  of  England 
where  administration  is  in  the  hands  of  a  party 
cabinet. 

The  work  last  mentioned  was  speedily  followed 
by  a  lengthy  article  on  the  "  Necessity  of  Opening  a 
National  Assembly"  which  was  inserted  in  a  disguised 
style  in  the  "  leader  "  columns  of  the  Hochi  Shimbun. 
The  article  was  published  in  successive  parts  which 
continued  for  about  twelve  days,  beginning  July  29, 
1879.  Soon  after  the  appearance  of  this  article, 
owing  either  to  it  or  to  a  remarkable  coincidence, 
almost  every  newspaper  in  Tokyo  began  to  discuss 
the  same  question.  Even  the  provincial  press  took 
up  the  discussion  with  surprising  energy.  Gradually 
the  proposal  enlisted  the  enthusiasm  of  every  patriot, 
until  in  the  beginning  of  the  following  year,  a 
memorial  supported  by  over  80,000  men  was  pre- 
sented to  the  government,  petitioning  it  to  open  a 


106  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.          CHAP. 

national  assembly.  The  demand  of  the  people  for 
the  establishment  of  such  an  assembly  continued 
until  the  government  (Oct.,  1881)  declared  by  procla- 
mation that  an  Imperial  Diet  should  be  opened  in 
1890. 

In  July,  r 88 1,  when  the  national  excitement 
over  the  proposal  to  establish  a  national  assembly 
reached  its  culminating  point,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  pub- 
lished "  About  Current  Events"  in  order  to  divert  the 
attention  of  the  people  from  the  overwrought 
agitation.  In  this  work,  he  blamed  the  people  for 
their  excessive  zeal  in  pressing  political  demands, 
and  reminded  them  of  the  greater  importance  of 
promoting  national  wealth  and  power.  If  the  people 
should  continue  their  struggle  against  the  govern- 
ment, the  independence  of  the  Empire  might  be 
endangered  by  foreign  aggressions.  He,  therefore, 
advised  the  political  enthusiasts  to  exert  themselves 
for  the  strengthening  of  national  power.  He  added  : 
"We  have  a  fable  to  the  following  effect.  A  top- 
shell  hid  himself  in  his  shell,  considering  himself 
quite  comfortable  and  beyond  the  reach  of  harm. 
But  while  he  was  thus  enjoying  himself,  he  suddenly 
heard  outside  an  unusual  noise.  Putting  his  head 
out  of  the  shell,  he  looked  about  and,  to  his  great 


XIV  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOURNALIST.  107 

surprise,  found  himself  with  his  shell  on  live  coals. 
The  country  being  a  shell  to  us,  we  must  not  forget 
for  a  moment  to  protect  it  against  foreign  aggression. 
The  struggle  for  existence  is  raging  even  in  the 
so-called  '  civilized  countries.'  Unless  we  are  on 
guard,  the  calamity  of  the  top-shell  might  befall  us. 
I.  regret  that  the  public  are  too  enthusiastic  with  the 
proposal  for  opening  a  national  assembly  to  pay 
any  attention  to  this  matter." 

CHAPTER     XIV. 
MR.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOURNALIST. 

THE  necessity  to  the  progress  of  Japan  of  an 
independent  and  impartial  journal  led  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa in  the  spring  of  1882  (Meiji  15)  to  start  they/)V 
Shimpo.  During  about  fifteen  years  after  its  estab- 
lishment, he  wrote  most  of  its  leading  articles  ;  and 
those  written  by  his  sub-editors  were  either  written 
at  his  suggestion  or  revised  by  him.  The  editorial 
staff  was  almost  exclusively  recruited  from  the 
graduates  of  the  Keio  Gijuku.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  then 
trained  them  in  both  style  and  thought  specially  for 
the  work. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  possessed  exceptional  ability  and 
many  special  qualifications  for  the  work  of  journalist. 


io8  .-/  f.ff-'E  Ol<'  Mr.   YUK1CHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

His  disregard  of  rank  and  titles,  his  impartiality  and 
spirit  of  independence,  his  boldness  in  expressing 
his  views,  his  thoughts  which  were  always  in  advance 
of  those  of  his  age,  his  power  of  accurate  and  minute 
observation  which  gave  him  a  keen  insight  into  the 
actual  state  of  things,  his  sound  common  sense,  his 
learning  which  was  very  broad,  though  perhaps  not 
very  profound,  his  power  of  generalization,  his  strong 
and  vivid  imagination,  and  his  unrivalled  style — all 
these  combined  made  him  an  ideal  journalist.  The 
Japan  Daily  Advertiser  says,  '*  For  vigor  and  clear- 
ness, as  well  as  for  the  power  of  homely  and  telling 
illustration,  the  editorial  columns  of  the  Jiji  Shimpd 
of  which  he  (Mr.  Fukuzawa)  was  the  guiding  spirit, 
have  been  hardly  matched  by  any  other  journal  of 
any  land,  not  even  excepting  the  Neiv  York  Tribune 
in  the  best  days  of  Horace  Greely." 

The  /iji  Shimpo  has  had  no  connection  with 
any  political  party.  It  is  impartial  and  independent  in 
its  views,  and  consequently  it  has  great  influence  with 
people  of  every  class.  Among  the  leading  Japanese 
journals,  it  has  the  largest  circulation  and  the  greatest 
influence.  The  Kobe  Chronicle  is  quite  right  in  saying, 
"This  journal  (the  Jiji  Shimpd}  has  been  sometimes 
compared  with  the  London  Times.  We  venture  to 


XIV  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOURNALIST.  109 

say  that  for  impartiality,  broad-mindedness,  and  a 
keen  sense  of  right  and  justice,  the  /iji  Shimpd  under 
the  editorship  of  men  trained  by  the  Sage  of  Mita  is 
far  and  away  the  superior  of  the  London  journal, 
which  in  some  respects  is  narrow  in  the  extreme. 
It  is  to  the  honor  of  the////  Shimpd  that  it  has  never 
hesitated  to  take  the  unpopular  side." 

Most  of  the  leading  Japanese  journals  represent 
special  interests.  Some  of  them  deal  principally 
with  politics  and  others  with  business.  Some  jour- 
nals attach  special  importance  to  literary  matters. 
Consequently  they  find  subscribers  only  in  particular 
circles.  The  Jiji  Shimpo,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
many-sided.  In  its  columns,  almost  every  subject 
receives  discussion  which  is  proportioned  to  its  im- 
portance. Politics,  finance,  industry,  commerce, 
scientific  discoveries  and  inventions,  art,  literature, 
even  sports,  all  receive  clear  and  concise  treatment. 
It  combines  in  itself  the  merits  of  all  other  journals, 
so  that  any  person  of  any  class  can  find  something 
of  interest  to  him  in  it. 

The  Jiji  Shimpd,  unlike  most  other  papers, 
exercises  great  prudence  in  publishing  news  of  a 
purely  personal  nature.  Slander  or  even  a  semblance 
of  it  is  never  found  in  its  columns  :  so  that  one  who 


uo  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

takes  only  this  journal  need  expect  no  information 
about  personal  or  social  scandals.  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
used  to  say  to  its  editors,  "  You  have  the  liberty  to 
\vrite  your  opinion  about  any  subject.  But  when 
criticizing  individuals,  you  must  not  write  any  thing 
but  what  you  dare  say  in  their  presence.  You  must 
abstain  from  slander,  for  that  does  not  become  an 
honorable  gentleman." 

No  other  journal  has  contributed  so  much  to 
the  progress  of  Japanese  civilization.  It  has  made 
contributions  in  every  field  of  activity,  but  its  efforts 
have  been  directed  primarily  to  the  reform  of  cus- 
toms and  manners.  It  has  rendered  a  most  im- 
portant service  in  breaking  down  a  highly  injurious 
evil  of  long  standing :  viz.,  an  excessive  regard  for 
public  office  and  a  corresponding  disdain  for  private 
citizens  and  for  private  occupations.  In  national 
emergencies,  it  has  acted  the  part  of  arbitrator 
between  antagonistic  parties.  As  the  champion  of 
greater  rights,  privileges,  and  opportunities  for  wo- 
men, both  in  the  family  and  in  the  society,  and  in 
its  multiform  and  effective  encouragement  of  in- 
dustry and  commerce,  it  has  rendered  its  most 
distinguished  services. 


XIV  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOUKXALfST.  in 

Below  arc  given  the  titles  of  the  books  written 
by  Mr.  Fukuzawa  after  the  establishment  of  his 
journal.  They  were  inserted,  with  one  or  two 
exceptions,  as  leading  articles  in  his  journal  before 
they  appeared  in  book  form. 

On   the   Moral    Training   of    Young   Men  : 

November,  1882  (Meiji  15). 
On  Military  Extension  :     November,  1882. 
On   the   Independence  of   Education  from 

the  State  :     February,  1883. 
On  General  Conscription  :     1884. 
On  Foreign  Intercourse,  for  General  Read- 
ers :     June,  1884. 
On  Japanese  Women  :     1885. 
On   Men's   Ways   to    Live  in   the   World  : 

December,  1885. 
On    the     Intercourse    between    Men    and 

Women:     June,  1886. 
On  Japanese  Men  :     February,  1888. 
On  the  Revering  of  the  Emperor. 
The  Future  of  the  Imperial  Diet. 
The   Cause   of   the   Conflict    Between    the 
Government    and     the    Imperial     Diet  : 
1891. 
A  Word  about  Public  Peace. 


A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKIC HI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

On  the  Land  Tax. 

Some  Suggestions  to  Business  Men  :    April, 
1893. 


"  On  Military  Extension "  was  intended  by 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  to  call  public  attention  to  the  imper- 
fect state  of  the  Japanese  army  and  navy.  This  he 
did  by  comparing  them  with  the  armies  and  navies 
of  the  chief  Western  powers.  Extension  of  both 
army  and  navy  was  advocated  in  order  to  maintain 
the  prestige  of  Japan.  Since  this  would  require 
increased  taxation,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  advised  the  gov- 
ernment to  give  appointments  to  distinguished 
champions  of  popular  rights  in  order  to  win  popular 
sympathy.  In  December,  1883,  after  a  law  estab- 
lishing general  conscription  was  promulgated,  ap- 
peared an  essay  of  moderate  length,  "  On  General 
Conscription,"  explaining  the  reasons  and  advantages 
of  the  law.  In  the  same  year  appeared  "On  Foreign 
Intercourse,  for  General  Readers."  In  this  work  the 
evils  of  extra-territorial  jurisdiction  in  Japan  were 
emphasized,  and  he  earnestly  advised  his  countrymen 
to  endeavor  to  have  the  foreign  settlements  abolished 
and  the  power  to  fix  the  rates  of  customs  duties 
restored  to  the  Japanese  government. 


XIV  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOURNALIST.  113 

In  "  Men's  Ways  to  Live  in  the  World,"  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  attacked  the  folly  of  place-hunting.  Quite 
extraordinary  honor  was  still  associated  with  official 
positions.  Hence  every  ambitious  youth  sought  to 
serve  the  government,  while  commerce,  industry, 
private  enterprises  of  «all  kinds  were  almost  entirely 
neglected  by  men  of  ability.  Accordingly,  this 
pernicious  custom,  which  was  so  characteristic  of 
feudal  Japan,  was  vigorously  attacked  by  our  earnest 
reformer.  He  insisted  that  the  life  of  a  government 
official  is  not  worthy  of  the  ambition  of  an  energetic 
youth,  that  private  enterprises  afford  him  more  ample 
scope  for  useful  activity  and  offer  greater  rewards  for 
successful  achievement.  In  this  connection,  he  tried 
to  correct  the  false  idea  of  his  countrymen  about 
money.  In  feudal  times,  honest  poverty  had  been 
considered  by  the  military  classes  as  one  of  the 
primary  virtues.  Their  disregard  of  money  more 
than  anything  else  distinguished  them  from  other 
social  classes.  After  the  Meiji  Restoration,  this  idea 
still  prevailed  among  the  educated  classes,  who 
regarded  money  with  something  like  the  contempt 
of  the  old  samurai.  Persons  who  belonged  to  the 
upper  classes  did  not  consider  it  bad  to  spend  more 
than  one  earns,  nor  were  they  ashamed  of  debt. 


1 14  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICIII  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  endeavored  to  correct  this  false  idea. 
He  sometimes  even  asserted  that  money  is  everything 
and  that  those  who  cannot  make  wealth  by  honest 
means  cannot  be  called  wise  men.  In  '*  Men's 
Ways  to  Live  in  the  World"  he  says  :  "  As  civiliza- 
tion advances,  money  becomes  more  and  more 
powerful.  It  is  mightier  than  any  thing  else. 
Where  money  is  there  is  glory  and  honor.  My 
countrymen,  you  must  exert  yourselves  with  all  your 
strength  to  make  money,  in  order  that  the  fountain 
of  national  power  may  be  deepened."  In  an  essay 
written  about  the  same  time,  the  following  passage  is 
found  :  "  So  long  as  we  live  in  this  world,  money  is 
the  most  important  thing.  It  is  money  that  enables 
us  to  provide  ourselves  with  clothes,  food  and  dwell- 
ings. It  is  by  money  that  we  can  support  our  families. 
Without  money  we  can  not  enjoy  home  pleasures. 
Intercourse  with  friends  can  be  kept  only  by  money. 
We  need  money  for  charity,  and  indeed  for  every 
other  purpose.  Money  is,  in  truth,  the  mother  of 
independence."  Mr.  Fukuzawa  not  only  wrote  but 
also  frequently  spoke  of  the  power  and  importance  of 
money.  The  present  author  who  had  then  just 
entered  the  Kei6  Gijuku  was  much  surprised  to  hear 
him  say  in  the  course  of  a  speech  delivered  in  the 


XIV  Mr.  PUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOURNALfST.  115 

Keio  Gijuku  auditorium  :  "  Regarded  from  the 
economic  point  of  view,  a  society  is  composed  mainly 
of  two  classes  ;  that  is,  a  productive  and  an  unproduc- 
tive class.  Government  officials,  lawyers,  clergymen, 
scholars,  statesmen,  teachers  and  the  like  form  the 
unproductive  class.  This  class  is  not  so  important  to 
a  poor  country  like  Japan  as  the  other  class  which  is 
composed  of  merchants,  manufacturers  and  farmers. 
Suppose  that  the  men  belonging  to  the  unproductive 
class  died  all  at  once,  would  Japan  then  suffer  greatly? 
No,  not  at  all.  She  could  do  quite  as  well  without 
them."  How  revolting  this  argument  was  to  my 
thoughts  !  I  was  not  alone  in  thinking  unfavorably 
of  his  opinion  about  wealth.  At  one  time,  this  view 
of  wealth  made  him  quite  unpopular.  Many  scholars 
considered  him  a  worshipper  of  mammon  and  heaped 
reproaches  upon  him.  But  they  were  quite  wrong  in 
their  judgment.  The  fact  is  that  none  of  them  was 
so  far  from  being  a  mammon  worshipper  as  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  was.  He  emphasized  the  value  of  money 
merely  with  a  view  to  correct  pernicious  misconcep- 
tions of  it,  and  to  impress  upon  his  countrymen  the 
dignity  of  private  occupations  and  independence.  If 
he  apparently  exaggerated  the  importance  of  money, 
it  was  doubtless  due  to  a  belief  that  extreme  views 


nfi  A  UPE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

would  be  most  effectively  combated  by  a  forcible 
presentation  of  the  opposite  extreme — for  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  misconceptions  which  he  sought 
to  correct  had  given  rise  to  real  and  serious  evils.  A 
clearer  conception  of  his  object  and  meaning  has 
since  transformed  aversion  into  affection,  and  only  a 
few  of  the  hopelessly  narrow  and  persistently  blind 
now  reiterate  the  once  common  charge  of  debasing 
materialism.  Meanwhile  the  truths  which  he  sought 
to  impress  have  been  very  generally  accepted  by  the 
Japanese  nation. 

"  On  Japanese  Women,"  "  On  Conduct,"  "  In- 
tercourse between  Men  and  Women,"  and  "  On 
Japanese  Men  "  were  all  written  to  emancipate 
women  from  the  restraints  of  the  old-fashioned  code 
of  morality.  By  Confucians  and  Buddhists  women 
are  considered  physically  and  mentally  much  inferior 
to  men  ;  and  moralists  of  the  Chinese  school  taught 
the  woman  absolute  submission,  not  only  to  her 
husband,  but  also  to  her  parents-in-law  and  even, 
when  old,  to  her  children.  The  woman  had  no 
property  of  her  own  ;  she  had  no  responsibility  ;  she 
had  no  power  in  her  home  ;  and  consequently  her 
social  standing  was  very  low.  The  house  which  she 
inhabited  belonged  to  her  husband  ;  the  children  she 


XIV  Mr.  FUKUZAWA  AS  A  JOURNALIST.  117 

bore  were  his  :  she  was,  so  to  speak,  a  parasite  of  her 
husband's  house.  Furthermore,  social  intercourse 
between  men  and  women  hardly  existed  ;  and  second 
marriage  of  young  widows  was  discouraged  by  public 
opinion.  On  the  other  hand,  Confucian  moralists 
taught  nothing  about  the  duties  of  a  man  to  his  wife. 
Consequently  men  were  generally  licentious  and  were 
indifferent  towards  their  wives.  If  a  man's  wife  bore 
him  no  child,  he  might  with  propriety  keep  con- 
cubines ;  for,  according  to  the  Confucian  view,  the 
chief  function  of  marriage  was  to  produce  an  heir  for 
the  man.  Furthermore,  men — husbands  included — 
might  with  little  impropriety  and  less  secrecy 
visit  geisha.  The  resulting  evils  were,  in  the 
works  of  Mr.  Fukuzavva  just  cited,  impressively 
presented.  Other  social  reformers  there  have  been 
and  are,  but  they  lacked  the  courage  to  attack  these 
abuses.  It  is  greatly  to  the  honor  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
that  he  was  the  first  writer  intelligently  and  en- 
thusiastically to  advocate  reform  along  these  lines. 
He  asserted  that  women  are  the  equals  of  men  in 
natural  faculties  ;  that  women  should  be  treated  as 
helpmates  of  men  not  as  their  playthings  ;  that  the 
gradual  degeneration  of  the  Japanese  race  in  stature 
and  physique  is  owing  principally  to  the  fact  that 


n8  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICfll  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

women  have  become  weak  in  mind  and  body  in 
consequence  of  the  circumstances  just  mentioned  : 
and  he  proposed  to  give  them  more  power  and 
responsibility,  the  right  of  property,  more  pleasure, 
and  to  make  social  intercourse  between  the  sexes 
more  frequent. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

LATER  YEARS. 

IN  recognition  of  the  services  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  as 
an  educator  and  as  a  writer,  the  Japanese  govern- 
ment in  1888  (Meiji  21)  offered  to  confer  upon  him 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Literature  ;  but  he  declined 
the  honor.  Again  in  1890,  when  the  Imperial  Diet 
was  established,  he  was  offered  a  life  appointment  as 
a  member  of  the  Upper  House.  This  appointment 
he  likewise  declined. 

Dr.  Kitazato,  who  is  now  a  famous  bacteriolo- 
gist, returned  to  Japan  in  1892,  after  completing  a 
course  of  study  in  bacteriology  under  Dr.  Koch  in 
Germany.  He  was  eager  to  establish  an  institution  for 
the  investigation  of  infectious  diseases  ;  but,  as  he 


XV  LATER  YEARS.  ng 

was  then  an  unknown  bacteriologist,  he  could  find 
no  one  to  provide  the  necessary  funds.  When  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  heard  of  this,  he  sympathized  with  him 
and  offered  to  help  him  in  his  undertaking.  Accord" 
ingly  Mr.  Fukuzawa  built  at  his  own  expenses  a  large 
building  for  the  purpose  and  even  promised  to  supply 
the  money  required  for  conducting  the  scientific 
investigations.  This  institution  gradually  developed 
and  is  now  supported  by  the  government  under  the 
presidency  of  Dr.  Kitazato.  Dr.  Kitazato  says,  "  If 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  not  helped  me  in  my  enterprise, 
I  doubt  if  bacteriology  would  have  been  so  developed 
in  Japan  as  it  now  is.  Therefore  he  may  be  called, 
not  merely  my  helper,  but  also  the  promoter  of 
bacteriology  in  Japan." 

In  1893  a  bronze  statue  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  life  size 
in  a  sitting  posture,  was  completed.  The  artist  was 
Mr.  Ujihiro  Okuma  who,  it  is  said,  spent  three  years 
on  the  work.  The  cost  of  the  statue  was  about  3,000 
yen,  and  was  paid  by  Mr.  Obata,  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  first 
pupil  and  later  co-worker,  and  other  disciples.  The 
unveiling  ceremony  was  performed,  in  the  presence  of 
many  Keio  Gijuku  alumni,  at  the  Keio  Gijuku  hall, 
October  2gth,  1893.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  read  an  address 
at  the  meeting,  the  gist  of  which  is  as  follows  : — 


tx>  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YL'KTCHI  FUKUZAU'A.  CHAP. 

"  To  speak  frankly,  I  am  naturally  devoid  of  vanity  and  do  not  think 
so  much  of  acquiring  fame  as  other  people  do.  It  is  but  little  matter  with 
me  whether  I  shall  leave  an  honored  memory  after  my  death.  I  do  not 
care  for  adornment  of  any  kind  and  so  it  makes  no  difference  to  me 
whether  a  statue  is  made  in  my  memory  or  not.  When  it  was  proposed 
to  make  this  statue,  many  times  did  I  tell  Mr.  Obata  and  other  gentlemen 
that  it  would  be  waste  of  money  and  that  they  had  better  contribute  so 
much  money  to  the  funds  of  this  school  of  ours.  Yet  you  persisted  in 
your  proposal  and  this  beautiful  statue  has  been  finished.  I  think  you 
have  some  special  motive  in  this.  I  dare  suppose  that  this  statue  has 
been  made  not  merely  to  preserve  my  likeness  but  principally  for  a 
monument  of  the  Keio  Gijuku  which  is  the  embodiment  of  my  spirit  and 
principles.  If  I  am  right  in  my  guess,  this  statue  may  be  called  a  repre 
sentation  of  the  Keio  Gijuku.  And  so  long  as  this  statue  exists,  the  Kei6 
Gijuku  must  be  kept  in  existence  also.  Thinking  that  the  Keio  Gijuku 
will  last  for  ever  together  with  this  statue,  I  shall  leave  no  anxiety  abou 
the  future  of  it.  It  is  my  earnest  hope  that  the  Keio  Gijuku  may  become 
the  centre  of  learning  and  morals  and  that  it  may  enable  Japan  to  sur- 
mount innumerable  obstacles  in  her  course  of  civilization." 

In  July,  1894,  the  Japan-China  War  broke  out, 
and  the  whole  nation  was  in  profound  anxiety  about 
its  issue.  Then  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  patriotic  sentiments 
reached  the  highest  tide  and  he  did  his  utmost  for 
his  country.  In  the  leading  columns  of  the  Jiji 
Shijnpo,  he  earnestly  advised  his  countrymen  to  fight 
with  all  their  energies  and  to  support  their  govern- 
ment in  all  its  plans.  These  articles  of  the  Jiji  Shimpo 
contributed  much  to  the  unanimous  passing  through 
the  Lower  House  of  the  revenue  bill  providing  enor- 
mous war  funds.  With  Mr.  Yeiichi  Shibuxawa  and 
a  few  other  distinguished  men,  he  organixed  a  society 


XV  LATER  YEARS.  i« 

called  Hokokukwai  or  the  "  Society  for  Repaying 
the  State's  Blessings  "  whose  object  it  was  to  raise 
subscriptions  from  individuals  in  order  to  contribute 
money  to  the  war  funds.  They  proclaimed  their 
intention  throughout  the  Empire  and  set  about  to 
collect  contributions.  The  government  was  highly 
pleased  with  their  intention  ;  but  public  loan  bonds 
had  been  already  issued  by  it  for  raising  war  funds 
and  some  statesmen  feared  that  this  proposal  might 
diminish  subscriptions  for  the  bonds.  They  thought 
that  the  promoters  of  the  society  had  better  exercise 
their  influence  in  persuading  the  people  to  purchase 
the  bonds.  Count  Inouye,  though  not  then  in  office, 
was  an  earnest  advocate  of  this  view.  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
and  other  promoters  of  the  society  thought  this 
opinion  reasonable.  They  therefore  dissolved  their 
society  and  exerted  themselves  to  assist  the  govern- 
ment in  placing  the  public  loan.  Mr.  Fukuzawa, 
however,  contributed  10,000  yen  to  the  war  funds. 

In  August  or  September,  1895,  the  Emperor 
offered  Mr.  Fukuzawa  a  peerage  in  recognition  of  his 
past  distinguished  services  to  the  state,  but  Mr. 
Fukuzawa's  democratic  principles  led  him  steadily  to 
decline  the  offer. 


122  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKTCHT  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

On  the  twelfth  of  December,  1895,  four  hundred 
and  fifty  followers  and  friends  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  in 
accordance  with  a  Japanese  custom,  gave  a  grand 
banquet  in  honor  of  his  sixty-first  birth-day.  His 
sixty-first  birth-day  actually  came  on  the  same  date 
of  the  previous  year,  but  its  celebration  had,  on 
account  of  the  Japan-China  War,  been  deferred.  At 
this  happy  gathering,  Mr.  Obata  as  representative  of 
the  hosts  read  a  congratulatory  address,  in  which  the 
following  passage  is  found  :  "  Let  us  drink  to  the 
health  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa.  Let  us  do  so,  not  only  as 
his  friends  and  followers,  but  also  as  Japanese  citizens 
for  the  sake  of  civilization  in  Japan." 

In  February,  1896,  "  Fukuzawa's  Hundred 
Essays  "  was  published.  It  has  been  so  eagerly  read 
by  the  public  that  it  has  gone  through  twenty-four 
editions.  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  it  is  said,  began  three  or 
four  years  earlier  to  write  these  essays.  In  this 
work,  his  style  and  his  thoughts  are  found  at  their 
best,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  his  master  work.  Prof. 
Dening's  criticism  of  it,  which  appeared  in  the 
Japan  Weekly  Mail  of  February  10,  1900,  is  given 
in  Appendix  A. 

"  Complete  Works  of  Fukuzawa  "  in  five  large 
volumes  was  published  in  September,  .1897.  In 


XV  LATER   YEARS.  123 

February  of  the  following  year  appeared  "  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa's  Talk  on  the  Intercourse  between  Men  and 
Women  ;  "  and  in  the  following  month  was  published 
"  Lessons  for  Young  People."  In  the  same  year, 
appeared  "  The  Autobiography  of  Fukuzawa"  which 
was  written  by  a  short-hand  writer  at  the  dictation 
of  Mr.  Fukuzawa.  A  considerable  portion  of  the 
present  biography  is  based  on  material  contained  in 
the  Autobiography.  It  has  reached  its  twenty-fourth 
edition.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  concluded  his  Autobiography 
with  these  words :  "  There  are  three  objects  which  I 
desire  to  accomplish  in  my  remaining  years.  The 
first  of  them  is  to  elevate  the  character  of  all  the 
Japanese,  to  make  them  worthy  of  the  name  of  a 
civilized  nation ;  the  second  is  to  encourage  the 
spread  of  Buddhism  or  Christianity  and  thus  to 
tranquillize  the  hearts  of  my  countrymen  ;  and  the 
third  is  to  help  scholars  in  their  study  of  profound 
theories,  physical  or  philosophical,  by  supplying  them 
with  plenty  of  money.  One,  though  old,  ought  not 
to  spend  one's  days  in  idle  repose  as  long  as  one  is  in 
good  health.  So  I  will  do  my  best  for  the  state  as 
long  as  I  am  healthy." 

Mr.    Fukuzawa's    last    work    is    "  Criticisms   of 
Kaibara's    Great   Learning  for    Women    and    New 


I24  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    Y(JK'lCHf  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

Great  Learning  for  Women  "  which  was  brought 
out  in  February,  1899.  He  began  to  write  it  in  the 
middle  of  August,  1898,  and  completed  it  about 
the  twentieth  of  the  following  month.  Kai- 
bara  was  a  famous  moralist  of  the  Chinese  school 
who  lived  almost  two  hundred  years  ago.  Mis 
"  Great  Learning  for  Women  "  is  a  summary  of  the 
accepted  opinions  of  his  day  on  the  status  of  women. 
Some  works  previously*  written  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
had  been  intended  to  give  an  impetus  to  a  movement 
in  favor  of  the  emancipation  of  women.  They  were, 
however,  much  in  advance  of  public  opinion  and 
their  immediate  results  were  disappointing.  The 
"  rights  of  women  "  were  not  greatly  extended.  On 
this  subject,  public  opinion  remained  exceptionally 
conservative.  It  was  loath  to  accept  in  theory  or  in 
practice  the  suggested  reforms,  and  was  still  es- 
sentially embodied  in  the  precepts  of  Kaibara. 
Consequently  Mr.  Fukuzawa  now  made  a  direct  and 
vigorous  attack  on  Kaibara's  work.  Every  doctrine 
it  contained  was  subjected  to  a  merciless  and  destruc- 
tive criticism.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  then  concluded  his 
essay  with  precepts  of  his  own  for  the  position  and 

*  These  are  "  On  Japanese  Women,"  "  On  Conduct,"  "  Intercourse 
between  Men  and  Women,"  and  "  On  Japanese  Men."     See  page  116. 


XV  LATER   YEARS.  135 

conduct  of  women,  which  he  designated  "  New- 
Great  Learning  for  Women."  This  work  has  been 
widely  and  eagerly  read,  especially  by  ladies.  Effec- 
tually as  it  destroyed  the  rational  foundation  of 
Kaibara's  doctrines,  its  practical  influence  neverthe- 
less remains  regrettably  slight.  It  assailed  institutions, 
and  ideas  which  are  obviously  and  deeply  rooted  in 
prejudice  and  custom  rather  than  in  reason.  Their 
reform — ardently  to  be  desired- — must  likewise  be 
effected  by  a  gradual  transformation  of  ideas  and 
customs. 

On  the  afternoon  of  September  26,  1898,  that  is 
about  a  week  after  the  completion  of  his  last  work, 
Mr.  Fukuzawa,  who  had  not  known  illness  for  many 
years,  was  unexpectedly  prostrated  by  cerebral 
paralysis.  His  condition  gradually  became  worse 
until  the  night  of  October  5,  when  his  physicians 
declared,  to  the  infinite  sorrow  of  his  family,  friends 
and  followers,  that  no  rational  hope  for  his  recovery 
could  be  longer  entertained.  When  the  news  of  his 
illness  appeared  in  the  newspapers,  the  whole  nation 
sank  into  profound  anxiety.  Numerous  persons 
called  daily  to  inquire  about  his  condition,  and  the 
Keio  Gijuku  alumni  of  different  localities  sent  repre- 
sentatives to  condole  with  his  famjly.  Their  Majesties 


126  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKKHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP 

the  Emperor  and  Empress  and  His  Highness  the 
Crown  Prince,  as  a  token  of  deep  sympathy  with  his 
family,  graciously  presented  them  with  some  bottles 
of  wine  and  two  boxes  of  cake.  The  Imperial 
Household  Department  ordered  a  daily  report  of  the 
progress  of  the  illness  to  be  sent  to  Their  Majesties. 
The  Emperor  again  offered  to  confer  a  decoration 
upon  Mr.  Fukuzawa  ;  but  his  family,  out  of  deference 
to  his  well-known  principles,  declined  the  offer. 
To  the  universal  surprise  and  joy,  the  exceptional 
vitality  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  reasserted  itself  and  his 
wonderful  reserve  of  physical  energy  tided  him  over 
the  crisis.  About  the  middle  of  October,  he  was 
able  to  leave  his  bed,  and  early  in  December  he  was 
almost  completely  restored  to  health.  On  his  next 
birth-day,  Dec.  12,  about  four  hundred  of  his  friends 
and  followers  held  a  banquet  at  the  Koyo  Kzvan  or 
the  "  Maple  Hall,"  in  Shiba  Park,  to  celebrate  his 
recovery  ;  and  on  the  same  day  banquets  for  the 
same  purpose  were  given  by  the  Keio  Gijuku  gradu- 
ates in  many  towns  throughout  the  Empire.  But  the 
severe  stroke  had  seriously  impaired  Mr.  Fukuzawa's 
mental  vigor.  His  power  of  memory  was  most 
affected.  At  times,  he  was  unable  even  to  recall  the 
names  of  his  wife  and  children.  Happily  this  mis- 


XVI  Mr.  FUKUZAWA'S  CODE  OF  MORALS.  127 

fortune  was  only  temporary,  so  that,  after  a  few 
months,  he  had  again  recovered  much  of  his  former 
intellectual  power. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
MR.  FUKUZAWA'S  CODE  OF  MORALS. 

MR.  Fukuzawa's  health  was  not  completely 
restored  before  he  began  to  devote  himself  to 
the  morals  of  his  countrymen.  Since  her  ports  were 
opened  to  foreign  intercourse,  Japan  had  made  rapid 
strides  in  science  and  art  ;  but  the  progress  of  morals 
was  discouragingly  slow.  The  older  generation  of 
Japanese  was  still  dominated  by  the  moral  concep- 
tions of  the  Chinese  school.  The  younger  generation 
generally  had  little  faith  in  these  out-of-date  doc- 
trines and  had  assumed  a  skeptical  attitude  towards 
all  moral  teachings.  Deeply  deploring  this  state  of 
things,  our  old  reformer  determined  to  supply  his 
countrymen  with  a  code  of  morals  that  was  suited  to 
the  progress  of  the  times.  He  accordingly  undertook 
to  compile  a  code  of  practical  ethics.  In  the  execu- 
tion of  this  work,  he  invited  the  co-operation  of  Mr. 
Obata,  President  Kamada  and  Prof.  Kadono  of  the 
Keio  Gijuku,  and  of  Messrs.  Ishikawa,  Hibara  and 
his  eldest  son  Mr.  Ichitaro  Fukuzawa.  By  the  aid 


128  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHl  WKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

of  frequent  reference  to  his  writings  and  speeches, 
and  after  much  discussion,  they  successfully  presented, 
in  a  small  pamphlet,  the  main  principles  of  his 
ethics.  These  were,  after  careful  examination  and 
some  amendment  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  embodied  in 
twenty-nine  moral  precepts.  On  February  ir,  1900, 
they  were  finally  adopted  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa  and  his 
collaborators,  in  the  following  form  : — 

All  those  who  are  living  in  Japan,  irrespective  of  sex  or  age,  must 
obey  the  Imperial  Court  of  uninterrupted  lineage,  for  there  is  none  who 
has  not  participated  in  its  unbounded  benevolence.  This  is  a  point  about 
which  there  is  perfect  unanimity  of  opinion  throughout  the  realm.  Com- 
ing to  another  question  of  how  the  men  and  women  of  to-day  should 
behave  themselves,  I  must  say  that  diverse  as  have  been  from  ancient 
times  codes  of  morals,  it  is  evident  that  a  code  must  conform  itself  to  the 
progress  of  the  times,  and  that  in  a  society  like  the  present,  characterized 
as  it  is  by  ever-advancing  civilization,  there  must  be  a  code  specially 
suited  to  it.  Hence  it  follows  that  the  tenets  of  personal  morals  and 
living  must  undergo  more  or  less  of  a  change. 

1.  Everybody  must  make  it  his  duty  to  act  as  a  man  and  must 
endeavor  to  elevate  his  dignity  and  to  enhance  his  virtue.     Men  and 
women  of  our  fraternity  must  regard  the  principle  of  independence 
and  self-respect  as  the  cardinal  tenet  of  personal  morals  and  living, 
and  by  inscribing  it  deeply  on  their  hearts  must  strive  to  discharge 
the  duties  proper  to  man. 

2.  He  is  called  a  man  of  independence  and  self-respect  who 
preserves  the  independence  of  both  mind  and  body,  and  who  pays  due 
respect  to  his  person  in  a  way  calculated  to  maintain  the  dignity 
proper  to  man. 

3.  Working  with  an  independent  will  and  subsisting  without 
the  help  of  others,  is  the  essence  of  the  independence  of  life  :  hence 
it  follows  that  a  person  of  independence  and  self-respect  must  be  an 
independent  worker  besides  being  his  own  bread-winner. 


XVI  Mr.  FUKUZAWA'S  CODE  OF  MORALS.  i2g 

4.  Taking  care  of  the  body  and  keeping  it  healthy  is  a  duty 
incumbent   on   us   all   by  reason  of  the  rules  that  govern  human 
existence ;  both  body  and  mind  must  be  kept  in  activity  and  in 
health  and  anything  calculated  to  impair  their  health  even  in  the 
least  degree  must  be  rigidly  avoided. 

5.  To  complete  the  natural  span  of  life  is  to  discharge  a  duty 
incumbent  on  man.     Therefore,  any  person  who,  be  the  cause  what 
it  may  or  be  the  circumstances  what  they  may,  deprives  himself  by 
violence  of  his  own  life,  must  be  said  to  be  guilty  of  an  act  inexcu- 
sable and  cowardly,  as  well  as  mean,  and  entirely  opposed  to  the 
principle  of  independence  and  telf-respect. 

6.  Unless  pursued  with  a  daring,  active  and  indomitable  spirit, 
independence  and  self-respect  cannot  be  secured  ;  a  man  must  have 
the  courage  of  progress  and  consistency. 

7.  A  person  of  independence  and  self-respect  must  not  depend 
upon  others  in  disposing  of  a  question  relating  to  his  own  personal 
affairs,  but  must  possess  the  ability  with  which  to  deliberate  and 
decide  on  it. 

8.  The  custom  of  regarding  women  as  the  inferiors  of  men  is  a 
vicious  relic  of  barbarism.     Men  and  women  of  any  enlightened 
country  must  treat  and  love  each  other  on  a  basis  of  equality,  so  that 
each  may  develop  his  or  her  own  independence  and  self-respect. 

g.  Marriage  being  a  most  important  affair  in  the  life  of  man, 
the  utmost  care  must  be  exercised  in  selecting  a  partner.  It  is  the 
first  essential  of  humanity  for  man  and  wife  to  cohabit  till  death 
separates  them  and  to  entertain  towards  each  other  feelings  of  love 
and  respect,  in  such  a  way  that  neither  of  them  shall  lose  his  or  her 
independence  and  self-respect. 

10.  Children  born  of  man  and  wife  know  no  other  parents  but 
their  own,  and  in  the  same  way  the  parents  recognize  no  children 
besides  their  own.     The  affection  existing  between  parents  and  their 
children  is  the  purest  kind   of  affection  and  the  first  preliminary  of 
domesiic  felicity  consists  in  not  interfering  with  the  free  play  of  this 
sentiment. 

11.  Children  are  also  persons  of  independence  and  self-respect, 
but  while  they  are  yet  in  their  infancy  their  parents  must  take  charge 
of  their  education.     The  children  on  their  part  must,  in  obedience  to 


1 30  .•/  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHJ  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

the  instructions  of  their  parents,  diligently  attend  to  their  work,  to 
the  end  that  they  may  get  well  grounded  in  the  knowledge  of  getting 
on  in  society,  after  they  have  grown  up  into  men  and  women  of 
independence  and  self-respect. 

12.  In  order  to  act  up  to  the  ideal  of  persons  of  independence 
and  self-respect,  men  and  women  must  continue,  even  after  they  have 
grown   up,   to  attend  to  their  studies,  and  should  not   neglect  to 
develop  their  knowledge  and  to  cultivate  their  virtue. 

13.  At  first  a  single  house  appears,  then  several  others  grad- 
ually cluster  round  it,  and  a  human  community  is  formed.     The 
foundation  of  a  sound  society  must  therefore  be  said  to  consist  in  the 
independence  and  self-respect  of  a  single  person  and  a  single  family. 

14.  The  only  way  to  preserve  a  social  community  consists  in 
respecting  and  not  violating,  even  in  the  least,  the  rights  and  the 
happiness  of  others,  while  maintaining  at  the  same  time  one's  own 
rights  and  one's  own  share  of  happiness. 

15.  It  is  a  vulgar  custom  and  unmanly  practice  unworthy  ol 
civilized  people  to  entertain  enmity  towards  others  and  to  wreak 
vengeance  upon  them.     In  repairing  one's  honor  and  in  maintaining 
it,  fair  means  must  always  be  employed. 

1 6.  Every  person  must  be  faithful  to  his  business,  and  anybody 
who  neglects  the  duties  of  his  state  in  life,  irrespective  of  the  relative 
gravity  and  importance  of  such  duties,  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  person 
of  independence  and  self-respect. 

17.  Every  one  must  behave  towards  others  with  candor,  for 
it  is  by  reposing  confidence  in  others  that  one  renders  it  possible 
for  them  to  confide  in  him,  while  it  is  only  by  means  of  this  mutual 
confidence  that  the. reality  of  independence  and  native  dignity  can  be 
attained. 

1 8.  Courtesy  and  etiquette  being  important  social  means  for 
expressing  the  sense  of  respect,  they  should  not  be  ignored  even  in 
the  least  degree  ;  the  only  caution  to  be  given  in  this  connection  is 
that  both  an  excess  and  a  deficiency  of  courtesy  and  etiquette  should 
be  avoided. 

19.  It  is   a   philanthropic  act  which  may  be  regarded  as  a 
beautiful   virtue  of  man,  to  hold  the  sentiment  of  sympathy  and 


XVI  Mr.  FUKUZAWA'S  CODE  O?  MORALS.  151 

affection  towards  others,  and  so  to  endeavor  not  only  to  alleviate  their 
pains  but  also  to  further  their  welfare. 

20.  The  sentiment  of  kindness  must   not   be  confined  to  men 
alone,  and  any  practice  that  involves  cruelty  to  animals  or   any 
wanton  slaughter  of  them  must  be  guarded  against. 

21.  Culture   elevates   man's    character  while   it   delights    his 
mind,  and  as,  taken  in  a  wide  sense,  it  promotes  the  peace  of  society 
and  enhances  human  happiness,  therefore  it  must  be  regarded  as  an 
essential  requisite  of  man. 

22.  Whenever  a  nation  exists  there  is  inevitably  a  Government 
which   attends   to  the  business  of  enacting   laws   and   organizing 
armaments  with  the  object  of  giving  protection  to  the  men  and 
women  of  the  counntry  and  of  guarding  their   persons,  property, 
honor  and  freedom.     In  return  for  this,  the  people  are  under  obliga- 
tion to  undergo  military  service  and  to  meet  the  national  expenditures. 

23.  It  is  a  natural  consequence   that  persons  who  undergo 
military  service  and  pay  the  national  expenditure,  should  enjoy  the 
right  of  sitting   in   the   national     legislature,    with     the    view    of 
supervising  the  appropriations  for  the  national  expenditures.     This 
may  also  be  considered  as  their  duty. 

24.  The  Japanese  people  of  both  sexes  must  ever  keep  in  view 
their  duty  of  righting  with  an  enemy  even  at  the  risk  of  their  life  and 
property,  for  the  sake  of  maintaining  the  independence  and  dignity  of 
the  country. 

25.  It  is  a  duty  of  the  people  to  obey  the  laws  of  the  country. 
They  should  go  further  and  should  attend  to  the  duty  of  helping  to 
enforce  those  enactments,  with  the  object  of  maintaining  order  and 
peace  in  the  community. 

26.  Many  as  are  the  nations  existing  on  the  earth  with  different 
religions,  languages,  manners  and  customs,  the  people  constituting 
those  nations  are  brethren,  and  hence  no  discrimination  should  be 
made  in  dealing  with  them.     It  is  against  the  principles  of  indepen- 
dence and  self-respect  to  bear/ one's  self  with  arrogance  and  to  look 
down  on  people  of  a  different  nationality. 

27.  The  people  of  our  generation  must  fulfill  the  duty  of  hand- 
ing down  to  our  posterity  and  in  an  ameliorated  form  the  national 
civilization  and  welfare  which  we  have  inherited  from  our  forefathers. 


132  A   LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUh'UZAWA.  CHAP. 

28.  There  must  be  more  or   less  difference  in   the  ability  and 
physical  strength  of  men  born  in  this  world.     It  depends  upon  the 
power  of  education  to  minimize  the  number  of  the  incompetent  and 
the  weak,  for  education,  by  teaching  men  the  principles  of  indepen- 
dence and  self-respect,  enables  them  to  find  out  and  to  develop  the 
means  to  put  those  principles  into  practice  and  to  act  up  to  them. 

29.  Men  and  women  of  our  fraternity  must   not   be  contented 
with  inscribing  on  their  own  hearts  these  moral  tenets,  but  endeavor 
to  diffuse  them  widely  among  the  public  at  large,  to  the  end  that 
they  may  attain  the  greatest  possible  happiness, — they  with  all  their 
brethren  all  over  the  wide  world. 

At  the  end  of  February,  the  Code  of  Morals 
was,  by  a  formal  ceremony  in  the  auditorium  of  the 
Keio  Gijuku,  presented  to  the  teachers  and  the  stu- 
dents of  the  institution.  Soon  afterwards,  it  was 
published  in  the  Jiji  Sliiinpo.  A  large  number  of 
copies  was  printed  separately  and  widely  distributed. 
Most  of  the  newspapers  and  magazines  throughout 
the  country  inserted  it,  and  commented  on  it  gener- 
ally favorably.  Some  conservative  persons  attacked 
with  vehemence  special  points  in  it.  Most  promi- 
nent among  those  who  assailed  it  was  Ur.  Inouye, 
a  professor  in  the  Imperial  University  at  Tokyo. 
The  most  vigorous  and  obstinate  objections  raised  by 
such  adverse  critics  were  (i)  against  making  indepen- 
dence and  self-respect  the  basis  of  morality,  and  (2) 
against  the  idea  that  "  a  code  of  morals  must 
conform  itself  to  the  progress  of  the  times/'  But 


XVI  Mr.  PUKUZAWA'S  CODE  OF  MORALS.  133 

the    Code    of     Morals    was    eagerly     welcomed    by 
scholars  of  progressive  views.* 

Encouraged  by  the  reception  accorded  by  the 
public. to  the  Code  of  Morals,  Messrs.  Ichitaro  Fuku- 
zawa,  Kamada,  Kadono,  Kitagawa,  and  some  others 
have  since  devoted  much  time  to  personal  explana- 
tion and  advocacy  of  the  doctrines  therein  contained. 
For  this  purpose,  they  have  travelled  extensively  in 
various  provinces,  held  conferences  and  delivered 
public  addresses  in  all  the  important  towns  along 
their  route.  Most  Japanese  have  perceived  the 
errors  and  imperfection  of  the  old  morals,  and  Mr. 
Fukuzawa's  ethics  has  begun  already  to  gain  their 
warm  approval. 

The  precepts  contained  in  the  Code  of  Morals 
are  not  mere  abstractions.  They  are  generalizations 
which  embody  the  substance  and  spirit  of  Mr. 
Fukuzawa's  writings  and  addresses,  and  are  especially 
rules  of  practical  conduct  which  he  observed 
throughout  life.  They  are  for  his  writings  and  his 
life  what  Herbert  Spencer's  "  Principles  of  Ethics  " 
is  for  his  "  Synthetic  Philosophy."  Their  precise 
formulation  into  a  Code  of  Morals  was  an  appropriate 
crowning  act  for  a  beautiful  life. 

*  See  Appendix  B. 


I34  --/  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHl  FUKUZAWA.  CHAI-. 

In  recognition  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  immense 
services  to  the  country,  His  Majesty  the  Emperor 
presented  him,  May,  IQOO,  with  50,000  yen,  which 
he  immediately  transferred  to  the  endowment  funds 
of  the  Keio  Gijukti. 


0 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

DEATH. 
N  the   evening  of    January  25,  1901,  Mr.  Fuku- 


zawa  was  visited  by  a  second  stroke  of  cerebral 
paralysis.  Again  the  whole  nation  shared  with  his 
"family  and  immediate  friends  the  deepest  anxiety. 
Five  days  after  the  attack,  Their  Majesties  the  Em- 
peror and  Empress  sent  a  messenger  bearing  presents 
of  cake  and  sympathetic  inquiries  concerning  the 
condition  of  the  sufferer.  Similar  presents  and 
inquiries  followed  two  days  later  from  Their  High- 
nesses the  Crown  Prince  and  Princess.  From  the 
beginning,  the  gravity  of  his  illness  was  recognized, 
but  as  the  general  symptoms  did  not  differ  materially 
from  those  witnessed  on  the  occasion  of  the  first 
attack,  hope  was  not  abandoned.  On  the  afternoon 
of  the  third  of  February,  however,  the  patient's 
strength  declined  rapidly.  At  the  same  time, 


XVII  DEATH.  135 

action  of  the  heart  began  to  fail  and  at  10:50  p.m. 
our  venerable  teacher  breathed  his  last.  He  was 
then  in  his  sixty-eighth  year. 

From  one  end  of  the  Empire  to  the  other,  the 
sad  news  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  death  awakened  feelings 
of  the  deepest  regret.  Through  the  leading  columns 
of  all  journals  in  the  Empire,  the  great  national 
sorrow  received  appropriate  and  impressive  expres- 
sion. In  addition  to  messages  of  condolence,  the 
Imperial  Court  sent  1,000  yen  towards  the  funeral 
expenses.  The  House  of  Representatives  unan- 
imously passed  a  vote  of  condolence — the  first 
honor  of  the  kind  ever  conferred  upon  a  Japanese 
citizen.  The  administrative  committee  of  the  Con- 
stitutional Association  ( a  political  party  represented 
by  a  majority  in  the  Lower  House)  and  some 
400  other  organizations — educational,  political  and 
business — likewise  voted  resolutions  of  condolence. 
Various  sums  were  contributed  to  the  endowment 
funds  of  the  Keio  Gijuku  in  honor  of  the  deceased 
educator.  During  the  interval  between  the  death 
and  the  interment  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  the  residents  of 
Mita  draped  their  shops  and  houses  in  black  as  a 
token  of  their  sympathy  and  sorrow.  Many  of  them 
also  closed  their  shops  on  the  day  of  the  funeral. 


136  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICH1  FUKUZAU'A.  CHAI-. 

It  was  announced  that  the  bier  should  leave  the 
house  at  one  o'clock  on  the  eighth.  Long  before  the 
appointed  hour  it  seemed  as  if  all  Tokyo  were  gather- 
ing about  the  Mita  Hill  where  the  residence  of  the 
deceased  was  situated.  Assembled  at  the  house  and  at 
the  school  were  multitudes,  not  only  of  eminent  men 
of  the  city,  but  also  of  delegates  from  every  part  of 
the  Empire  who  had  hastened  to  Tokyo  to  pay  the 
last  tribute  of  respect  to  their  leader.  Among  those 
assembled  were  some  Ministers  of  State  and  no  small 
number  of  foreigners,  including  some  Hindoos  and 
Koreans.  The  distance  traversed  by  the  enormous 
procession  on  its  way  to  Zempukuji  (temple)  is  about 
one  mile.  On  either  side,  the  entire  route  was  lined 
by  dense  masses  of  spectators.  The  students  of  the 
Keio  Gijuku,  some  seventeen  hundred  in  number,  led 
by  their  military  corps,  did  silent  escort  duty. 
Following  them  came  the  simple  but  elegant  bier 
and  then  the  great  column  of  mourning  friends,  which, 
massed  eight  deep,  extended  almost  from  the  house 
to  the  temple.  There  was  not  a  carriage  or  jinriki- 
sha  in  the  funeral  procession.  In  marked  keeping 
with  the  simplicity  of  the  life  thus  honored  in  death, 
as  well  as  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the 
deceased,  all  the  gaudy  features  of  a  Buddhistic 


XVII  DEATH.  137 

funeral  were  omitted — a  fact  which  added  to  the 
solemnity  and  impressivcness  of  the  obsequies.  The 
spectators,  with  bared  heads,  observed  the  passing 
column  in  respectful  silence.  At  sight  of  the  bier, 
many  women  clasped  their  hands  and  burst  into 
sobbing.  On  arrival  at  the  temple  a  simple  but 
impressive  funeral  ceremony  \vas  performed.  The 
procession  again  formed  and  attended  the  remains  to 
their  last  resting  place,  Hongwanji  (temple),  in  Osaki 
Village.  There  the  last  sad  rites  ended  at  half  past 
five  o'clock,  and  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  great 
teacher  was  appropriately  left  in  the  solitude  of  the 
winter  twilight. 

Several  incidents  connected  with  the  death  and 
burial  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  aptly  illustrate  the  vener- 
ation which  his  character  and  work  had  inspired. 

The  students  of  Keio  Gijuku  University  were 
not  willing  to  have  the  remains  of  their  great  teacher 
borne  to  the  tomb  by  hired  laborers.  They  there- 
fore earnestly  begged  that,  instead  of  the  customary 
hired  laborers,  thirty  of  the  strongest  among  their 
own  number  should  be  selected  to  perform  this  service. 
The  affectionate  thoughtfulness  implied  in  this 
proposal  deeply  moved  the  funeral  committee.  But, 
lest  some  accident  might  happen  if  this  course  were 


138  /  UFE  OF  Mr.  YUKICH1  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

adopted,    the    proposal    was    with    much    reluctance- 
rejected. 

While  the  preparations  for  the  funeral  were  being 
made,  a  lady  called  at  the  residence  of  the  deceased. 
She  revealed  neither  her  name  nor  any  other  evi- 
dence of  her  identity,  but  simply  delivered  to  the 
usher  some  daffodils  and  a  branch  of  plum-blossoms 
to  be  dedicated  to  the  spirit  of  the  deceased, 
accompanied  by  a  letter  which  read  :— 

Tokyo,  Feb.  8,  1901. 
"  To  Mrs.  Fokuzawa. 
Dear  Madame, 

Having  read  the  late  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  excellent  articles 
in  theyyt  Skimfo  written  on  behalf  of  the  Japanese  women,  I  thought 
him  a  kind  friend  of  women  and  regarded  him  with  gratitude  and  re- 
spect, although  I  had  never  the  honor  of  personal  aquaintance  with  him. 

I  am  very  sorry  for  his  death:  I  feel,  indeed,  as  if  a  relation  of 
mine  had  died.  Inferring  from  my  sorrow  ,  how  great  the  sorrow  of 
you  and  of  your  family  must  be,  I  sympathize  with  you  ! 

I  wish  to  dedicate  the  accompanying  flowers  to  his  spirit  as  a  slight 
token  of  my  gratitude  to  him.  Be  so  kind  as  to  do  so  for  me.  I  will 
attend  his  funeral  to-day. 

It  is  my  earnest  prayer  that  his  noble  spirit  may  remain  for  ever 
in  this  world  to  be  a  constant  companion  of  the  Japanese  women. 

Yours  most  cordially, 

A  Woman  of  Mita." 

Two  or  three  days  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Fuku- 
/awa,  the  following  letter  was  sent  through  the  post 
to  his  widow  : — 


XVII  DEATH.  139 

"  To  Mrs.  Fukuzawa  Utsunomiya,  February,  1901. 

and 
All  her  family. 

Dear  Mrs.  Fukuzawa, 

For  the  past  several  years  my  family  and  1  myself 
have  been  subscribers  of  the  Jiji  Shimpo ;  and  the  excellent  views  of 
the  late  Mr.  Fukuzawa  have  so  much  influenced  us  that  the  several 
youths  in  my  store  behave  well  and  act  on  the  principle  of  independence 
and  self-respect  which  was  taught  by  the  deceased  teacher.  I  am  much 
obliged  to  him  for  this. 

Furthermore,  sympathizing  with  the  Japanese  women  whose 
status  in  society  is  low,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  exerted  himself  for  their  cause  ;  on 
account  of  which  I  regarded  him  with  more  gratitude  and  respect  than 
gods  and  Buddha. 

I  prayed  that  he  should  live  even  to  a  hundred  years  ;  and  what  is 
my  sorrow  and  surprise  at  the  intelligence  of  his  death  !  I  sympathize  with 
you  in  your  bereavement.  I  should  like  very  much  to  attend  his  funeral, 
but  I  am  very  sorry  business  prevents  me  from  doing  so.  As  a  token  of 
my  gratitude  and  sorrow,  I  write  you  this  poor  letter. 

I  hope  that  you  will  do  your  best  in  spreading  the  noble 
teachings  of  the  deceased  teacher. 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

A  Merchant  Woman  of 

Utsunomiya." 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  left  at  his  death  a  wife  and  nine 
children,  of  whom  four  are  sons  and  five  are  daughters. 
The  eldest  son  Mr.  Ichitaro  has  succeeded  to  his 
father's  estate,  and  is  editor  of  the  ///'/'  Shimpo. 

« 

The  second  son  Mr.  Sutejiro  is  manager  of  the  ///'/ 
Sliimpo.  The  third  and  fourth  sons  are  students — the 
former  in  England  and  the  latter  in  the  Keio  Gijuku. 
The  daughters  are  all  married. 


i4o  \  I.fFE  OF  Mr.    YUKKHT  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

CHAPTER     XVIII. 

PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  HABITS, 
AND  CONDUCT. 

MR.  FUKUZAWA  had  an  exceptionally  pleasant 
and  commanding  personal  appearance.  Five 
feet  nine  inches  tall,  he  was  in  stature  much  above 
the  average  for  Japanese.  He  had  a  large  face,  with 
a  prominent  nose  and  a  broad  forehead.  His  firmly 
set  mouth  and  massive  chin  expressed  determination 
and  decision  of  character.  His  large,  lustrous,  steady- 
eyes  indicated  candor,  intelligence,  keen  and  active 
powers  of  observation.  He  was  of  a  strong  constitu- 
tion and  rather  corpulent,  weighing  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  from  his  youth  to  his  later 
years.  He  had  a  thick  beard  but  always  kept  it 
closely  shaven.  He  once  said  to  a  friend,  "  See  how 
large  and  sinewy  my  hands  and  feet  are  !  If  I  had 
become  a  laborer,  1  should  have  led  a  happier  life. 
It  may  be  a  mistake  in  my  life  to  have  become  a 

scholar  and  to  trouble  myself  so  much." 

• 
Naturally  he  was  very  healthy  and  every    care 

was  taken  to  preserve  his  vigor.  He  ate  food  veiy 
slowly  and  never  took  anything  between  his  regular 
meals.  Much  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  physical 


XVIII  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  &c.  141 

exercise.  When  he  was  a  young  man,  he  learned 
iai  or  the  art  of  drawing  a  long  sword,  in  which 
he  attained  considerable  proficiency ;  and  in  his  later 
years  he  often  practised  it  for  exercise.  He  rode 
horse-back  well,  and  during  some  years  this  was  his 
favorite  exercise.  Other  forms  of  exercise  frequently 
resorted  to  by  him  were  cutting  fire-wood  and 
pounding  rice  in  a  mortar.  Me  was  an  early  riser 
and  generally  did  not  burn  the  midnight  oil.  Early 
in  the  morning  while  his  neighbors  were  still  asleep, 
he  arose  and  walked  in  the  fresh  morning  air.  In 
these  walks,  he  went  a  few  miles  out  into  the  suburbs, 
wearing  sandals,  a  big  stick  in  hand,  and  accompanied 
by  two  or  three  young  students  of  the  Keio  Gijuku. 
Before  supper,  he  practised  one  of  the  other  forms 
of  exercise  above-mentioned,  most  frequently  the 
pounding  of  rice.  He  never  allowed  bad  weather  to 
interfere  with  his  exercise. 

As  already  stated,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  very  fond 
of  sake.  After  he  came  to  Yedo,  his  income  enabled 
him'  to  indulge  his  taste  for  drink.  He  usually 
drank  in  the  morning,  at  noon,  and  in  the  evening. 
He  also  welcomed  any 'additional  chance  opportunity 
to  drink.  But  when  he  became  thirty-two  or  thirty- 
three  years  old,  he  thought  that  drinking  so  much 


1 42  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICH1  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

would  shorten  his  life.  Accordingly  he  resolved 
gradually  to  diminish  his  daily  consumption  of  sake 
until  he  might  be  able  entirely  to  abstain  from  it. 
At  first  he  gave  up  his  morning  sake  and  next  his 
noon  allowance  ;  but  he  experienced  great  difficulty  in 
abstaining  from  his  evening  sakt.  He  tried  each 
successive  evening  to  drink  less  and  less.  His 
appetite  demanded  more  drink  ;  his  will  commanded 
a  smaller  satisfaction.  Thus  there  was  a  daily 
struggle  between  desire  and  will,  and  three  years 
elapsed  before  he  could  entirely  dispense  with  the 
evening  cup.  Finally  his  tenacious  will  asserted 
absolute  sovereignty  over  desire,  and  in  his  later 
years  he  never  tasted  a  glass  of  sake  or  any  other 
liquor. 

Unlike  most  Japanese  gentlemen,  he  had  no 
taste  for  curios  or  objects  of  fine  art,  autographs  or 
paintings,  architecture  or  gardening.  Simple  in  his 
dress  and  in  furnishing  his  house,  he  hated  anything 
like  luxury.  It  is  said  that  if  he  found  any  article  of 
luxury  in  his  house  he  would  sell  it  and  replace  it 
with  a  cheaper  and  coarser  one.  He  held  in  con- 
tempt the  general  usage  of  prizing  the  autographs 
of  famous  scholars.  Once  he  had  a  hanging  scroll 
made  by  one  of  his  pupils  who  wrote  a  good  hand  ; 


XVIII  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  dry.  143 

and  he  hung  it  on  the  wall  of  his  parlor.  He  would 
say  to  every  visitor,  "  This  scroll  has  no  signature. 
Whose  performance  do  you  think  it  is?  "  Supposing 
that  a  man  like  Mr.  Fukuzawa  would  hang  up  noth- 
ing but  the  work  of  a  celebrated  caligrapher,  the 
visitor  would  admire  it  very  much  and  add,  "  I  sup- 
pose the  writer  must  be  some  famous  Chinese  or 
Corean  caligrapher."  Mr.  Fukuzawa  would  then 
feel  like  laughing  but  would  not  confess  the  truth. 
One  day  a  number,  of  his  friends  happened  to  meet 
at  his  house.  Then  he  told  the  truth.  They  were 
surprised  and  began  to  criticise  the  caligraphy,  say- 
ing, "  This  stroke  is  awkward.  That  is  clumsy."  He 
said  with  laughter,  "  What  critics  you  are  !  You  see 
scrolls  with  the  ear,  not  with  the  eye.  If  I  had  said 
this  was  written  by  a  famous  ancient  caligrapher,  you 
would  surely  have  admired  it."  The  guests  were 
struck  dumb. 

It  was  a  characteristic  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  that  he 
never  troubled  others  about  his  personal  affairs.  He 
swept  and  dusted  his  room.  He  went  and  purchased 
his  ink  and  paper.  He  polished  his  shoes  and  even 
shaved  himself.  Sometimes  he  performed  the  duties 
of  his  wife  or  servants.  When  he  pounded  rice  for 
exercise  he  was  sure  to  sift  the  bran  and  to  clean  the 


144  '  I- IFF-  Of-  M>:   YUK1CHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

mortar.  Me  once  had  a  valuable  ink-stone*  which 
had  been  presented  by  a  friend.  He  prized  it  very 
much  and  did  not  allow  his  family  to  use  it.  He- 
washed  it  every  time  it  needed  washing  and  never 
allowed  others  even  to  touch  it.  It  was  a  treasure 
with  him  for  many  years.  One  clay  while  engaged 
in  writing  he  fell  into  a  profound  meditation.  While 
he  was  thus  meditating,  his  eye  caught  the  ink-stone 
which  needed  cleansing.  He  called  his  maid-servant 
and  ordered  her  to  take  it  away  and  wash  it.  While 
washing  the  ink-stone  the  maid  accidentally  broke  it. 
She  ran  to  him  with  it  and  in  tears  begged  his 
pardon.  Then  his  spell  of  meditation  was  broken  and 
he  much  regretted  the  loss  of  his  treasure.  But  not 
a  word  of  anger  escaped  his  lips.  He  simply  said  to 
her,  "  Never  mind.  This  is  the  consequence  of  my 
having  asked  you  to  wash  it.  1  am  to  blame  and  not 
you." 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  a    beneficient   man.     When 
Mr.   (now    Viscount)     Buyo    Enomotot     was   taken 

*  An  ink-stone  is  a  piece  of  hard  stone  with  a  hollow,  used  for 
holding  Japanese  ink. 

t  Mr.  Buyo  Enomoto,  who  had  learned  in  Holland  the  science 
of  naval  war,  was,  at  the  time  of  the  Meiji  Revolution,  commandant 
of  the  naval  fleet  of  the  Bakufu.  When  the  ex-Shogun  Keiki  had 
surrendered  the  castle  of  Yedo  to  the  Imperial  army  in  April,  i86S 


XVIII  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  &>c.  145 

prisoner  by  the  Imperial  army  and  was  about  to  be 
executed,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  tried  every  possible  means 
to  save  his  life  and  at  last  had  him  set  at  liberty. 
There  are  many  other  instances,  in  which  he  made 
extraordinary  exertions  to  help  others.  One  summer 
a  student  of  the  Keio  Gijuku  died.  His  parents  were 
poor  and  his  home  was  very  far  from  Tokyo,  so  that 
none  of  his  relatives  were  able  to  attend  his  funeral. 
Two  or  three  class-mates  undertook  preparations  for 
his  funeral.  When  Mr.  Fukuzawa  heard  of  this,  he 
felt  very  sorry  and  offered  to  defray  the  entire 
expenses.  He  also  attended  the  funeral.  His 
benevolence  seems  to  have  increased  with  his  years. 
In  his  later  years,  whenever  he  went  out  for  a  walk- 
he  took  with  him  a  little  change  for  beggars. 


(See  the  chapter  on  the  Meiji  Restoration),  Commandant  Enomoto 
was  unwilling  to  yield.  Accordingly,  he,  with  some  other  naval 
officers,  sailed  northward  with  eleven  men-of-war.  Proceeding  to 
Yezo,  they  captured  the  castle  of  Matsumaye ;  and  before  long 
a  large  portion  of  the  island  came  under  their  rule.  Over  this 
territory,  they  set  up  an  independent  government.  The  Emperor 
despatched  a  fleet  against  them ;  and  warlike  operations  between 
the  rebels  and  the  Imperial  troops  lasted  till  May,  1869,  when 
the  rebels  surrendered  to  the  Imperial  troops.  Mr.  Enomoto  was 
sent  to  Yedo  and  afterwards  he  was  about  to  be  executed,  when 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  came  to  his  rescue.  Many  years  later  Mr.  Enomoto 
held  an  important  office  in  the  new  government  and  was  created  a 
peer. 


146  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.   YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP 

Very  sociable  and  cheerful  of  disposition,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  was  also  rather  talkative.  He  could  talk- 
pleasantly  with  anybody — man  or  woman,  young  or 
old.  His  breadth  of  knowledge  and  exceptional 
common  sense  enabled  him  to  speak  on  almost  every 
subject  and  to  adapt  his  conversation  to  the  capacity 
of  the  fellow-talker.  He  maintained  the  same 
attitude  towards  everybody,  whether  gentleman 
or  laborer,  lady  or  maid-servant.  He  was  not 
only  entertaining  with  his  own  speech  and 
skilful  in  leading  the  conversation,  but  he  was  also  a 
good  listener.  His  sound  judgment  was  in  part 
formed  by  listening  to  others  talk.  Mr.  Obata 
happily  remarked,  "  Mr.  Fukuzawa  used  people  as 
books."  Mr.  Fukuzawa  had  frequent  visits  from 
persons  representing  almost  every  variety  of  tempera- 
ment and  occupation  :  lawyers,  doctors,  educators, 
statesmen,'  journalists,  even  laborers.  In  the  course 
of  conversation  with  such  visitors,  he  induced  them 
to  speak  of  their  specialities  and  questioned  them 
minutely  on  every  topic  that  occurred  to  him.  Thus 
he  was  able  to  acquire  a  vast  knowledge  of  various 
subjects.  By  the  application  of  his  clear  intellect  to 
the  analysis  and  synthesis  of  what  he  had  heard,  he 
would  form  quite  original  views.  Consequently  he 


XVIII  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  &t.  147 

would  later  surprise  those  from  whom  he  had  received 
his  information  by  the  superiority  of  his  knowledge. 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  remarkable  for  his  excellent 
conduct.  He  never  spoke  of  obscene  things.  He 
never  associated  with  women  of  ill  repute.  He  did 
not  even  know,  as  he  says  in  his  Autobiography, 
where  the  Yoshiwara  and  other  quarters  for  pros- 
titutes were  situated.  His  life  in  the  home  was 
exemplary.  He  was  a  kind  husband,  a  benevolent 
father,  a  good-tempered  grand-father,  and  a  good 
master.  Musicians,  story-tellers,  and  even  actors 
were  invited  to  his  house  to  perform ;  and  he  enjoyed 
their  entertainments  with  his  family.  There  was  no 
secret  in  his  home.  Equality  and  liberty  were 
realized  by  the  members  of  his  family,  and  all  were 
intimate  and  sympathetic  friends.  His  home  was  a 
miniature  republic  of  which  he  was  the  president. 
Indeed  no  home-life  could  have  been  simpler,  purer, 
more  free,  open  or  attractive.  How  he  loved  his 
family  is  shown  by  the  following  fact.  While  his 
eldest  and  second  sons  studied  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  he  wrote  to  them  regularly  once  a  week. 
The  total  number  of  letters  sent  by  him  during  their 
stay  of  six  years  was  over  three  hundred.  It  is  said 
that  he  wrote  so  minutely  about  the  current  events 


148  A  LIFE  Of  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA.  CHAP. 

in  Japan  as  well  as  the  incidents  of  his  home,  that  his 
sons  on  their  return  to  Japan  were  as  well  informed 
about  the  changes  which  had  occurred  during  their 
absence  as  if  they  had  not  been  abroad.  He  was  not 
only  a  man  of  theory  but  also  emphatically  a  man 
of  practice.  Whatever  he  thought  or  said  about 
morals  he  practised.  There  was  in  Japan  no  one 
better  entitled  to  teach  morals. 

Since  his  motto  was  "  independence  and  self- 
respect  "  and  since  he  thought  that  money  is  the 
foundation  of  independence,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  very 
careful  about  the  use  of  money.  He  says  in  his 
Autobiography,  "  There  is  nothing  so  hateful  to  me 
as  debt,  except  assassination.  I  am  a  great  coward 
with  regard  to  money  :  I  have  not  courage  enough 
to  borrow  it."  He  never  during  all  his  life  borrowed 
even  a  penny.  He  would  have  starved  rather  than 
incur  debt.  He  not  only  abhorred  debt,  but  he  also 
hated  to  get  money  at  the  slightest  sacrifice  of  his 
self-respect.  Soon  after  the  Restoration,  a  great 
merchant  of  Yokohama  established  a  school  in  that 
city,  and  its  teachers  were  selected  from  among  the 
Keio  Gijuku  graduates.  The  merchant  expressed  to 


XVIII  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE,  &t.  149 

Mr.  Fukuzawa  a  desire  to  have  him  superintend  the 
school,  but  Mr.  Fukuzawa  was  unwilling  to  accept 
the  offer.  Mr.  Fukuzawa's  sons  were  still  young 
children,  but  it  was  his  earnest  wish  to  send  them 
abroad  for  study  when  they  became  old  enough. 
However  it  was  extremely  doubtful  whether  he  would 
be  able  to  afford  this,  and  it  was  to  him  a  source  of 
constant  anxiety.  The  Yokohama  merchant,  having 
heard  of  this,  came  to  him  again  and  after  repeating 
the  former  request,  said,  "  If  you  don't  wish  to  take 
any  salary  for  your  services,  let  me  now  offer  you 
15,000  yen  for  the  expenses  of  educating  your  sons 
abroad.  If  you  deposit  the  money  at  interest  in 
some  bank,  it  will  grow  into  a  larger  sum  by  the  time 
they  are  old  enough  to  go  abroad.  Please  grant  my 
earnest  request."  1 5,000  yen  was  then  a  big  sum  to 
Mr.  Fukuzawa.  Almost  any  other  man  would  have 
assented  to  the  proposal.  But  he  stuck  to  his  first 
resolve  and  positively  declined  the  offer,  being  quite 
unwilling  to  sacrifice  his  will  for  the  sake  of  money. 
Afterwards  by  industry  and  thrift  he  made  a 
moderate  fortune  and  was  able  to  send  abroad,  not 
only  his  sons,  but  also  his  nephew  Mr.  H.  Nakami- 
gawa,  who  until  his  recent  demise,  was  at  the  head 
of  the  Mitsui  Bank. 


APPENDIX    A. 

MR.  FUKUZAWA  AND  HIS  VIEWS.* 

By  PROF.  DENING. 

Foreigners  and  Japanese  are  agreed  in  thinking  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  to  be  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of 
the  day.  By  his  own  countrymen  he  is  regarded  with 
profound  respect  almost  amounting  to  worship. 
Candour,  simplicity,  courage,  disregard  of  rank  and 
titles,  common  sense,  earnestness,  great  decision  of 
character, — these  are  qualities  which  are  as  highly 
esteemed  by  the  Japanese  as  by  ourselves  and  Mr. 
Fukuzawa  possesses  them  all  in  an  eminent  degree. 
Everybody  gives  Mr.  Fukuzawa  the  credit  of  being 
quite  sincere  in  the  views  he  holds  and  all  acknowl- 
edge that  he  wields  enormous  influence  throughout 
the  country.  The  public  reads  with  great  avidity 
everything  he  writes.  His  books  run  through  edition 
after  edition  at  an  astonishingly  rapid  rate  and  there 
are  few  current  questions  on  which  he  has  not 
something  pointed  to  say.  His  newspaper  is  won- 
derfully well  informed,  not  only  on  the  internal 
affairs  of  this  country  but  also  on  the  policies  of 

*   The  Japan  Weekly  Mail,  Feb.  10,  1900. 


I52  .-/  I.1PK  01-  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA. 

Western  countries.  Old  though  he  is,  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
shows  no  signs  of  having  lost  his  interest  in  the  march 
of  events.  A  recent  article  in  his  newspaper,  to  quote 
only  one  instance  among  many,  maps  out  with 
remarkable  accuracy  the  probable  course  of  events  in 
the  Transvaal  when  the  present  war  is  over  and  the 
two  Republics  become  English  protectorates. 

Although  all  are  agreed  that  Mr.  Fukuzawa  is  a 
very  striking  personality,  there  are  not  a  few  Japa- 
nese and  a  great  many  foreigners  who  hold  that  his 
views  are  anything  but  elevating.  They  think  his 
ideal  to  be  a  low  one.  Some  writers  pronounce  it  to 
be  materialistic  to  the  core,  in  the  sense  that,  accord- 
ing to  them,  nothing  but  worldly  ends  are  repre- 
sented to  be  worthy  of  constant  pursuit.  Others 
affirm  that  in  stating  his  views  Mr.  Fukuzawa  uses 
exaggerated  language  and  that  his  followers  are 
misled  by  this  and  push  his  doctrines  to  undesirable 
extremes.  Others  say  thar  Mr.  Fukuzawa  has  figured 
too  much  as  an  opportunist  and  that  he  has  sanc- 
tioned and  even  recommended  his  followers  t3 
outwardly  conform  to  forms  of  religious  belief  which 
he  himself  does  not  think  worthy  of  acceptance,  for 
the  sake  of  the  secondary  benefits  such  outward 
conformity  confers.  All  this  and  much  beside  has 


APPENDLX    A  153 

been  said  of  him.  He  has  been  condemned  for  his 
scepticism,  and  it  has  been  said  that  he  has  no 
adequate  idea  of  the  important  place  that  man 
occupies  in  the  Universe.  The  present  writer  has 
for  many  years  studied  Mr.  Fukuzavva's  writings  with 
considerable  interest,  and  in  order  to  show  precisely 
what  are  the  actual  views  of  the  Mita  sage  on 
religious  belief,  human  life,  and  kindred  subjects  has 
gone  to  the  trouble  of  examining  very  thoroughly 
his  100  short  essays,  a  book  which  as  early  as  last 
April  had  reached  its  twelfth  edition  and  has  now 
reached  the  sixteenth.  In  this  volume  he  has  given 
us  his  maturest  thoughts  and  convictions.  The 
various  essays  furnish  abundant  data  whereon  to  base 
an  opinion  of  the  general  character  of  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa's  teaching.  In  as  short  a  space  as  possible  we 
will  state  what  he  has  to  say  on  the  principal  subjects 
discussed. 

Essay  I.  is  on  the  "  Universe.  "  All  thoughtful 
men,  says  the  essayist,  are  agreed  that  there  is  a 
certain  sublimity  and  a  certain  mystery  about  the 
Universe,  that  the  way  in  which  numbers  of  diverse 
laws  work  together  in  realising  certain  ends  is  very 
wonderful.  It  is  admitted  that  there  is  something 
inexplicable  connected  with  the  Universe.  It  would 


154  A   I  JFK  OF  Mr.    VI /A7C///  FUKUZAWA. 

be  no  doubt  convenient  to  give  this  a  name,  and 
religious  people  call  it  "  God,  "  whom  they  assume 
is  the  maker  of  the  Universe.  I  cannot  use  that 
name  as  I  know  nothing  of  God.  When  young  I 
was  taught  to  speak  of  all  things  beyond  man's 
strength  to  perform  as  the  work  of  "  Heaven,  "  and 
nature's  laws  were  spoken  of  as  Heaven's  way.  This 
language  is  used  for  the  sake  of  convenience.  It 
teaches  us  nothing.  All  that  is  certain  is  that  there 
are  many  things  that  are  beyond  our  comprehension. 
The  feeling  that  nature  produces  in  us  is  one  of 
wonder  and  admiration.  As  to  actual  causes  we  have 
no  certain  guide. 

Essay  II.  is  on  nature's  work  and  dwells  on  the 
uniformity  of  nature's  laws  and  of  their  wonderful 
comprehensiveness.  Nothing  great  or  small  is  uncon- 
trolled by  the  law  from  huge  planets  to  specks  of 
dust.  And  we  human  beings  are  part  of  the  great 
system  of  nature. 

In  Essay  III.  the  view  is  expressed  that  nature  is 
favourable  to  man.  The  following  is  the  gist  of 
what  Mr.  Fukuzawa  has  to  say  on  this  subject.  In 
all  times  there  has  been  much  discussion  over  the 
question  of  nature's  attitude  towards  mankind.  The 
Chinese  philosophers  asked  whether  Heaven's  laws 


A  I'P  END  IX    A.  155 

were  for  or  against  us  Temmei  ze(Jj&  ka,  hi($£)  ka  ? 


The  principal  features  of  their  treatment  of  the 
subject  consisted  in  lamentations  over  the  many 
misfortunes  and  drawbacks  encountered  in  this  life- 
There  are  those  who  contend  that  floods,  tempest, 
earthquakes,  war,  robbery  and  the  like  are  all  proofs 
that  Heaven's  laws  pay  no  regard  to  man's  comfort 
and  happiness.  But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
man  is  endowed  with  intelligence  that  will  in  the  end 
enable  him  to  conquer  most  of  the  ills  of  life.  Judg- 
ing by  the  rate  of  progress  he  is  now  making,  in  five 
or  six  thousand  years  there  will  be  few  calamities 
that  his  skill  and  forethought  will  be  unable  to  pre- 
vent. Distant  generations  will  be  able  to  surround 
themselves  with  happiness  of  which  we  have  little 
conception. 

In  Essay  IV.,  the  title  of  which  is  "  Hope  for  the 
Future,"  the  same  subject  is  continued.  The  history 
of  the  past  is  pronounced  to  be  most  encouraging. 
The  appearance  every  now  and  again  of  moralists 
like  Confucius  and  great  scientists  like  Sir  Isaac 
Newton  enables  mankind  to  make  rapid  progress. 
Such  lights  will  go  on  appearing  for  centuries  to  come 
and  eventually  man  will  have  no  complaint  to  make 
against  his  environment. 


156  /   /.//-'A'  OF  Mr.    \TKIC.H1  /-/'AY '/.//?'./. 

Essay  V.  deals  with  "  Cause  and  Effect."  It  is 
contended  that  the  assumption  that  nature  is  fa- 
vourable to  us  and  that  there  is  no  real  injustice  in 
the  conditions  to  which  she  has  subjected  us  implies 
that  the  whole  chain  of  cause  and  effect  as  seen  in 
things  material  and  things  mental  cannot  be  justly 
taken  exception  to  by  us.  Most  of  the  evils  of 
mankind  come  from  their  own  sins.  Though  there 
are  cases  of  innocent  people  suffering,  yet  on  the 
other  hand  the  wonderful  intelligence  displayed  in 
nature's  arrangements,  the  superiority  of  her  ways 
to  our  ways,  should  keep  us  from  charging  her  with 
causing  the  misfortunes  which  cross  our  path.  In- 
stead of  accusing  nature,  we  should  do  better  to  set 
about  righting  ourselves. 

Essay  VI.  asks  and  answers  the  interesting  ques- 
tion, "  Should  we  or  should  we  not  entertain  a  feeling 
of  gratitude  "  (to  nature)  ?  This  essay  appears  in  full 
witn  a  translation  on  p.  322  ct  seq.  of  Mr.  B.  H. 
Chamberlain's  "  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Japa- 
nese Writing."  From  Mr.  Chamberlain's  translation 
we  make  a  few  short  extracts.  After  enumerating 
various  sources  of  happiness  furnished  to  us  by  uature, 
the  essayist  proceeds  thus — "  Such  is  the  condition 
of  man,  swimming  in  a  sea  of  happiness.  Never- 


APPENDIX    st.  157 

theless,  when  we  proceed  to  ask  whether  he  ought 
or  ought  not  to  feel  grateful  for  these  favours, — 
whether,  to  speak  colloquially,  he  should  say 
thank  you  for  them, — a  doubt  naturally  suggests 
itself.  For  mark  the  word  '  favour.'  It  includes 
the  notion  of  benevolence,  kindly  action ;  and 
gratitude  for  these  presupposes  the  existence  of 
some  person  by  whom. the  benevolence  is  exercised. 
But  the  great  machine  of  the  Universe,  marvellously 
as  it  is  constructed,  shows  no  trace  of  any  special 
constructor ;  and  even  if,  for  argument's  sake,  we 
coin  the  word  'Creator'  and  apply  it  in  this 
context,  attaining  thereby  to  apparent  logical  sat- 
isfaction, then  we  must  find  some  maker  for  the 
maker  of  the  Creator.  Thus  we  should  go  on  ad 
infinitum,  and,  when  all  was  said  and  done,  the  only- 
conclusion  arrived  at  would  be  that  the  world  is  a 
great  machine  marvellously  constructed.  It  is  a 
great  machine  originated  by  chance,  and  we  human 
beings  are  born  by  chance,  and  really  form  part  of 
the  machine.  We  may  illustrate  this  by  the  case  of 
an  engine  which  should  move  of  itself  in  a  marvellous 
manner,  while  yet  there  was  absolutely  no  means  of 
ascertaining  the  existence  of  the  motor  power, 
steam  ;  and  man  would  correspond,  say,  to  one  nail, 


rs8  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICH1  FUKUZAWA. 

or  to  a  minute  particle  of  the  iron  of  that  engine  ;  in 
all  those  revolutions  he  would  participate,  but  as  he 
would  naturally  ignore*  the  causes  which  brought 
it  all  about,  no  search  on  his  part  would  bring  to 
light  any  one  whom  he  ought  specially  to  thank 
for  the  favour  of  whirling  him  round.  All  that 
can  be  done  is  to  contemplate  the  vastness,  the 
infinity,  the  immeasurableness,  the  marvellousness 
of  the  great  machine,  and  to  discern  ever  more  and 
more  clearly*our  own  insignificance  and  weakness." 
In  the  same  essay  nature  is  defined  as  "  merely 
a  marvellous  and  spontaneous  series  of  events,  from 
which  it  is  impossible  to  deduce  the  existence  of 
any  person  causing  those  events  to  be  what  they 
are."  And  the  conclusion  arrived  at  is  thus 
concisely  and  lucidly  stated  :  "  A  single  iutnnitablc 
order  of  nature  can  justly  excite  neither  gratitude 
nor  resentment  ;  for  it  is  plain  tliat,  being1  so  rasf 
as  it  ts,  u<e,  in  our  position  as  human  beings,  can 
no  more  dan-  to  praise  titan  to  blame  it."  (The 
translation  is  Mr.  Chamberlain's,  the  italics  are 


*  The  translation  here  t^ems  to  us  a  little  misleading.  The 
original  is,  misukara  sono  shikaru  ytten  "no  shirazarcbti,  which  means 
simply  "  as  he  himself  would  not  know  the  causes  which  brought  it 
about."  "  Naturally  ignore  "  introduces  another  idea,  it  seems  to  us. 


APPENDIX    A.  159 

ours).  The  sage  continues  :  "  Calm,  unbiased  reflec- 
tion shows  us  that  the  fact  of  human  beings  being 
born  as  human  beings  belongs  to  the  same  order  as 
that  of  fish  being  fish,  or  birds  being  birds,  or 
a  man  or  woman  of  thirty  being  thirty  ;  there  is 
in  it  no  special  cause  for  joy,  or  yet  for  astonish- 
ment. Nature  suits  man  and  all  other  living 
creatures.  This  is  simply  because  nature  is  nature  ; 
it  is  no  mark  of  any  special  and  particular  favour. 
If  nature  did  not  suit  man  and  other  creatures, 
then  men  and  things  as  we  now  know  them  would 
not  exist  on  the  surface  of  this  globe, — nay  !  the 
globe  itself  could  not  then  wear  its  present  aspect. 
Thus  it  is  only  because  nature  is  suitable  to  their 
origination  that  things  exist  at  all.  It  is  not  because 
things  exist  that  we  are  justified  in  inferring  any 
special  favour  towards  them  on  nature's  part.  To 
notice  things  and  then  treat  them  with  particular 
kindliness  is  an  exclusively  human  trait,  and  it 
argues  ivant  of  appreciation  of  the  greatness  of  tlic 
great  machine  to  judge  nature  s  handiwork  by  our 
petty  schemes."  In  a  note  at  the  end  of  this  essay 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  tells  us  that  this  discussion  is  only 
designed  for  the  learned,  and  he  expresses  a  fear 
that  the  ignorant  may  misunderstand  it.  As  trans- 


i6o  .-/  LIFE  OF  Mr.    YUKICHI  FUKUZAWA. 

lated  by  Mr.  Chamberlain,  he  says,  "In  fine,  grati- 
tude being  a  sentiment  which  springs  from  piety, 
the  proper  course  for  wise  men  to  pursue  in  the 
present  uncultivated  condition  of  the  world  is  to 
foster  virtue  in  the  foolish  by  leaving  such  piety 
undisturbed,  whether  its  origin  be  superstition  or 
emotion."  The  above  words  express  Mr.  Fukuzawa's 
habitual  teaching  on  the  treatment  that  religion 
should  receive  at  the  hands  of  the  learned  :  it  should 
be  tolerated  as  a  necessary  superstition  for  the  sake 
of  its  good  effects  on  the  ignorant. 

The  title  of  Essay  VII.  is  Ningen  no  Anskin 
("  Man's  Composure  of  Mind ").  It  lays  special 
stress  on  the  insignificance  of  mankind  in  the  great 
scale  of  creation.  It  is  in  this  essay  that  man  is 
compared  to  an  insect  that  is  born  in  the  morning 
and  dies  at  night,  to  dust,  and  to  a  maggot.  His  life 
is  represented  as  quite  unimportant.  The  world  can 
get  on  without  him.  The  argument  is  that  most 
forms  of  anxiety  and  discontent  originate  with  over- 
estimation  of  the  importance  of  life.  Life  should 
be  regarded  with  the  indifference  and  lightness  of 
heart  with  which  \ve  regard  our  sports.  Nothing 
lasts  long,  not  even  the  most  distressing  circum- 
stances, and  therefore  nothing  is  worth  harassing 


APPENDIX    A.  161 

one's  soul  about.  But  at  the  same  time  we  must 
make  the  best  of  life  and  fulfil  its  duties.  Indiffernce 
should  be  carried  far  enough  to  fortify  us  against 
being  crushed  by  reverses,  but  not  to  the  length 
of  making  us  neglect  any  of  the  means  of  bettering 
our  position  placed  within  our  reach.  As  the  views 
expressed  in  this  have  been  very  much  misunderstood 
and  misrepresented  by  both  Japanese  and  foreigners 
and  have  been  pushed  to  greater  lengths  than  is  fair 
to  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  we  quote  a  few  lines  of  the  essay 
in  order  to  show  that  he  guards  against  the  wrong 
use  of  his  argument.  The  passage  in  which  the 
objections  of  these  critics  are  forestalled  and  an- 
swered is  on  p.  38  of  the  Essays  and  begins,  for  we 
cannot  quote  the  whole,  Slide  ui  sckai  ni  uinare  idc 
tarn  nc  zva,  itjimnsJii  nagara  sod  no  kakitgo  naki  wo 
yezu,  sono  kakngo  to  iva  jinsci  iva  Iionrai  tmvainure  to 
sliiri  nagara,  kono  tawaniurc  zvo  tawarniirc  to  sexu  sliitc, 
adakamo  inajiinc  ni  tsutomc,  liinku  zvo  saritc  fnrakii 
ni  kokorozashi,  £c.  "  Having  come  into  the  world, 
though  we  be  nothing  but  maggots,  we  must  make  a 
suitable  preparation  for  living.  And  this  preparation 
for  living  will  mean  that  though  we  regard  life  as  a 
joke  we  shall  act  as  though  it  were  a  very  serious  affair 
and  endeavour  to  avoid  both  poverty  and  pain  and 


162  ./  /-//'A1  Of-  !\h:    )YrA7(7//  />CJCcy..\ll'A. 

aim  at  obtaining  wealth  and  pleasure,  etc."  Mr. 
Fuku/awa  goes  on  to  say  that  all  the  duties  of  life 
must  be  scrupulously  fulfilled.  The  lightness  of 
heart  which  he  enjoins  is  intended  to  be  an  antidote 
to  the  despondency  which  an  over-serious  vie\v  of 
life  is  apt  to  cause  in  a  certain  class  of  minds. 

Essay  VIII.  treats  of  the  Standard  of  Right  and 
Wrong.  This  standard,  according  to  the  essayist,  is 
no  other  than  the  embodiment  of  the  opinion  of 
mankind  generally,  or  of  that  of  various  nations,  in 
reference  to  the  quality  of  actions.  It  may  be  said 
that  actions  of  which  a  community  disapproves  are 
wrong  and  those  of  which  they  approve  arc  right. 
Thus  the  standard  must  ever  change  with  the 
change  of  man's  opinion  as  to  the  quality  of 
actions.  Men  reason  about  all  actions  and  come 
to  some  definite  conclusion  about  them,  that  is, 
they  declare  them  to  be  good  or  bad.  Religion 
attempts  to  set  up  a  higher  standard  than  this, 
and  teaches  that  actions  have  inherent  qualities 
quite  irrespective  of  what  people  think  about 
them.  The  standard  of  morals  with  people 
who  believe  in  religion  is  derived  from  the  teaching 
of  men  who  arc  supposed  to  have  been  sent  by  God 
to  tell  mankind  what  is  right  and  wrong.  This  found- 


APPENDIX    A  163 

ing  of  moral  teaching  on  supernal uralism  no  doubt 
offers  many  advantages  when  it  is  sought  to  influence 
certain  minds.  Though  I  myself  do  not  believe  in 
religion,  I  can  see  how  it  becomes  profitable  to  others 
and  how  there  are  cases  in  which  as  a  device  for 
leading  men  into  the  paths  of  virtue  it  may  succeed. 

In  Essay  IX.  Mr.  Fukuzavva  maintains  that  good 
is  held  in  higher  esteem  than  evil  by  most  men. 
Man  is  naturally  inclined  to  be  good.  Even  bad  men 
respect  goodness  in  others  and  in  their  better  mo- 
ments wish  to  be  virtuous.  Wickedness  is  not  usual- 
ly the  result  of  a  deliberate  preference  for  what  is 
bad,  but  is  only  the  result  of  folly.  The  numerous 
pleasures  attached  to  virtue  and  the  pain  that  is  so 
frequently  a  concomitant  of  vice  teach  most  men  to 
strive  to  attain  to  the  former  and  to  avoid  the  latter. 

The  argument  elaborated  in  Essay  X,  is  not  easy 
to  follow  and  to  not  a  few  it  appears  contradictory. 

The   essayist   himself  seems  conscious  that  the  view 

• 

of  man  that  he  propounds  here  stands  in  apparent  if 
not  actual  antagonism  to  the  teaching  of  Essay  VII. 
The  limitless  desires  and  high  aspirations  of  man 
form  the  theme  of  Essay  X.  Man  finds  himself  in 
possession  of  a  mind  that  can  free  itself  from  all  the 
trammels  of  time  and  space  and  soar  to  sublime 


164  -'/   fJFl-:  OF  Mr.    YCK1CHI  /-/'AT/  III  .1. 

heights.  This  is  some  compensation  for  the  extreme 
insignificance  of  his  existence  here  and  at  times  it 
leads  him  to  forget  how  unimportant  he  is.  Com- 
pared with  the  existence  of  the  millions  of  units  of 
which  the  universe  is  composed  the  span  of  life  of 
any  individual  man  is  infinitesimally  trifling,  and  his 
remembering  this  helps  him  to  bear  his  lot  with 
composure,  but  it  is  given  to  him  to  conceive  of 
higher  states  of  existence  than  any  that  he  can  enjoy, 
to  live  in  a  world  of  thought  and  imagination.  His 
aspirations  know  no  limits.  The  consciousness  that 
he  possesses  an  all-exploring  mind  imparts  to  his  life 
a  loftiness  and  dignity  it  would  not  otherwise  possess. 

In  Essay  XI.  it  is  maintained  that  a  virtuous  dis- 
position is  in  many  cases  nothing  but  an  appreciation 
of  what  is  beautiful  in  conduct.  This  is  the  old 
Greek  idea.  Their  kalos  expressed  both  the  beauti- 
ful and  the  good,  just  as  aiskros  was  used  for  the  ugly 
to  look  at  and  for  the  morally  bad. 

In  Essay  XIII.  the  benefits  of  regarding  things 
lightly  are  set  forth  in  a  somewhat  new  aspect.  Light- 
heartedness  is  declared  to  be  conducive  to  activity 
and  zeal.  It  must  not  be  over-looked  that  the  levity 
of  mind  on  which  Mr.  Fukuxawa  dwells  so  much  is 
a  quality  that  the  whole  nation  has  cultivated  more 


APPENDIX    A  165 

or  less  for  years,  and  that  it  has  been  repeatedly 
commented  on  by  foreign  observers  as  one  of  the 
most  conspicuous  traits  of  national  character.  It  is 
a  form  of  Stoicism.  Mr.  Fuku/awa  thinks  that  it 
does  not  in  this  country  lead  to  fatalism,  nor  accord- 
ing to  him  does  it  engender  carelessness.  The 
title  of  Essay  XIII.  is  striking,  /ibntsu  ivo  Karoku 
initc,  hajimetc  kivappatsu  nant  zuo  ubcshi  (It  is  only 
by  looking  at  things  lightly  that  one  can  become 
energetic.) 

To  those  who  have  asserted  that  Mr.  Fukuzawa  is 
a  mere  man  of  the  world,  who  grovels  in  the  dust  and 
possesses  no  lofty  ideal,  we  would  recommend  Essay 
XIV,  which  urges  in  eloquent  language  the  necessity 
of  our  ever  setting  before  us  a  high  ideal  and  of  our 
daily  striving  to  reach  it.  Men  of  learning  have 
the  means  of  finding  out  what  is  the  highest  ideal  of 
virtue,  and  as  for  those  who  have  no  other  guide,  they 
should  fall  back  on  religion,  which  can  furnish  them 
with  better  ideals  than  they  can  frame  for  themselves. 
In  Essay  100,  he  takes  up  the  subject  of  ideals  again, 
and  points  out  that  in  the  present  state  of  the  world 
absolute  perfection  is  unattainable,  but  in  the  far  dis- 
tant future,  when  knowledge  will  have  so  advanced 
that  the  material  world  will  have  disclosed  all  its 


i66  ./  1. 1 1- E  01'  Mr.   YUKKRI  fUKUZAWA. 

secrets  to  man,  when  in  all  spheres  of  inquiry  the 
chain  of  cause  and  effect  will  be  quite  clear  to  all 
inquiring  minds,  absolute  perfection  may  be  attain- 
able. This  last  essay,  as  it  is  the  longest,  is  in  many 
ways  the  most  interesting  of  the  series.  It  gives  the 
basis  of  the  optimism  that  pervades  all  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa's  writing.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  is  an  optimist  because 
he  has  unbounded  confidence  in  man's  potentiality. 
He  thinks  that  the  world's  evils  are  all  curable  and 
that  man's  happiness  during  his  sojourn  here  can  be 
made  quite  complete.  His  belief  in  the  future  of 
mankind  is  based  on  the  marvellous  progress  in 
knowledge  that  has  been  made  in  the  past. 

We  have  confined  ourselves  in  this  review  to  a 
consideration  of  Mr.  Fukuxawa's  opinions  on  the 
deeper  questions  of  philosophy.  But  in  so  doing  we 
have  failed  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  compre- 
hensive nature  of  the  volume  of  essays  as  regards 
subjects.  There  are  few  topics  of  interest  connected 
with  human  life  on  which  he  has  nothing  to  say. 
He  discusses  many  types  of  virtue  and  many  types 
of  vice  and  he  brings  to  all  his  discussions  practical 
common  sense.  His  system  of  philosophy  seems  to 
us  incomplete  and  in  many  particulars  inconsistent. 
His  unqualified  optimism  is  only  possible  because  he 


APPENDIX    A.  167 

fails  to  give  due  weight  to  the  many  irremediable 
evils  of  man's  existence  in  the  world,  and  he  expects 
from  the  study  of  physics  and  other  sciences  far  more 
than  it  is  in  the  nature  of  these  branches  of  knowl- 
edge ever  to  yield.  But  with  all  this  he  displays  a 
wonderful  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  no  writer 
that  we  have  studied  shows  clearer  discernment  of 
what  is  and  what  is  not  possible  in  the  sphere  of 
ethics. 

Great  umbrage  has  been  taken  by  some  at  the 
attitude  assumed  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa  to  religion. 
They  say  that  it  is  an  insult  to  the  learned  men  who 
still  profess  Christianity  to  say  that  it  is  a  religion 
that  is  not  needed  by  the  highly  educated,  but  that 
it  doubtless  proves  useful  to  ordinary  folks.  But 
after  all  is  not  this  just  the  very  attitude  tacitly 
assumed  by  the  majority  of  thinkers  in  Europe  and 
America?  Thousands — we  may  perhaps  say  mil- 
lions— of  men  steer  quite  clear  of  religion  themselves, 
never  enter  a  church  except  for  a  funeral,  a  wedding, 
or  a  baptism,  but  they  think  it  natural  that  their 
women  folk  should  go  to  church,  and  that  even  a 
certain  class  of  men  should  find  religion  helpful  to 
them.  The  only  difference  between  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
and  the  majority  of  Western  thinkers  is  this.  He 


168  .  /   IJFE  OI-"  Mr.    Yl  'h'lCIH  I- 1  'A'( '/,.  \W.  1. 

states  in  the  plainest  language  his  opinion  on  the 
subject  of  religion  and  its  function  in  the  world  ; 
the}-  usually  maintain  a  discreet  silence.  But  their 
practice  and  the  confidential  communications  made 
by  them  to  friends  conclusively  show  that  in  reality 
their  attitude  to  religion  is  precisely  that  of  Mr. 
Fuku/.awa.  Surely  Mr.  Fukuzawa  is  not  to  be 
blamed  for  having  the  courage  to  say  what  he  thinks 
on  this  subject.  We  fail  to  see  any  real  disrespect  for 
the  convicitions  of  others  in  the  attitude  complained 
of.  Orthodox  Christians  must  bear  in  mind  that 
other  people  can  have  convictions  on  religious 
subjects  that  are  quite  as  conscientious  as  theirs' 
One  of  these  convictions  is  that  religion  as  received 
and  explained  by  the  orthodox  is  false.  The  motto 
of  this  class  of  thinkers  is  i-igeat  trritas,  ct  pcrcas 
urtt/u/iis.  Nothing  can  induce  them  to  accept  teach- 
ing that  to  them  appears  absolutely  unreliable.  But 
they  are  advocates  of  liberty  of  belief  and  do  not 
attempt  to  interfere  with  the  conscientious  convic- 
tions of  other  people.  They  even  hold  the  view  that 
there  are  many  illusions  that  do  good  ;  that  comfort 
and  help  of  various  kinds  can  be  received  from 
falsehoods.  History  shows  that  men  and  women  arc 
capable  of  being  deeply  affected  by  lies  and  may  per- 


APPENDIX    .1.  169 

form  many  good  actions  under  the  impulse  received 
from  teaching  that  subsequently  turns  out  to  be 
quite  false.  To  Mr.  Fuku/awaand  to  many  Western 
thinkers  religion  appears  to  be  a  device  for  getting  a 
certain  class  of  people  to  perform  virtuous  actions, 
which  they  would  not  otherwese  perform.  Now 
the  world  is  better  for  these  actions,  and  as  a 
machine  for  turning  them  out  religion  has  never 
been  surpassed.  It  therefore  makes  little  matter 
whether  supernaturalism  is  capable  of  proof  or  not. 
To  assume  a  personal  God,  miracles,  heaven,  and 
hell  gives  an  authority  to  moral  precepts  that  they 
could  not  otherwise  possess.  Hence  let  them  be 
assumed.  Don't  try  to  knock  down  effective  error  in 
order  to  establish  ineffective  truth.  The  world  is 
not  educated  up  to  the  higher  philosophy.  To 
proclaim  it  prematurely  and  indiscriminately  would 
do  more  harm  than  good.  "  A  certain  degree 
of  general  ignorance,"  says  a  well-known  Western 
thinker,  "  is  the  condition  of  every  religion  and  is 
the  element  in  which  alone  it  is  able  to  exist,  while 
as  soon  as  astronomy,  natural  science,  geology, 
history,  knowledge  of  countries  and  nations  have 
spread  their  light  universally,  and  philosophy  is 
finally  allowed  to  speak,  every  faith  which  is  based 


170  /   IJFK  Or  Mr.    YUKlCHf  IUJKUZAW.  I. 

on  miracle  and  revelation  must  perish  and  then 
philosophy  will  take  its  place."  This  is  Mr.  Fuku- 
/.awa's  view  and  he  adds,  "  In  the  meantime, 
encourage  religion."  It  fills  a  space  and  thus  the 
vacuum  which  nature  hates  is  avoided.  But  when 
Mr.  Fuku/awa  goes  still  further  and  recommends 
young  men  to  profess  a  religion  whose  doctrines 
they  consider  erroneous  for  the  sake  of  secondary 
benefits  to  be  obtained  thereby,  as  he  did  some  years 
ago  in  a  most  public  manner,  we  can  no  longer  defend 
him.  This,  it  seems  to  us,  is  recommending 
dishonesty.  Those  who  enter  the  Christian  Church 
are  called  upon  to  make  a  public  confession  of  their 
faith.  To  repeat  words  affirming  belief  in  doctrines 
which  the  candidate  deems  false  to  most  right-minded 
people  would  appear  absolutely  heinous.  Yet  this 
is  what  Mr.  Fukux.awa  recommended  some  years 
ago.  Whether  he  still  holds  such  a  proceeding 
allowable  we  do  not  know. 

But  these  minor  discrepancies  and  imperfections 
in  his  views  can  never  hide  from  us  the  greatness  of 
Mr.  Fuku/.awa's  life  as  a  whole.  For  nearly  four 
decades  he  has  figured  as  an  out-and-out  advocate*of 
the  superiority  of  Western  thought  and  learning. 
This  advocacv  has  been  a  most  whole-hearted  affair. 


APPENDIX     4.  TJT. 

There  have  been  no  faltering  moments,  no  retrograde 
steps.  In  essay  XXXIV  he  argues  that  nothing  great 
can  be  accomplished  if  a  man's  mind  is  never  made  up 
on  any  question.  The  half-way  house  between  doubt 
and  belief  is  not  a  place  where  one  should  stop  long. 
The  opinions  which  he  has  expressed  have  all  a  ring 
of  decision  about  them,  and  this  it  is  which  has  made 
his  writing  so  popular.  The  majority  of  his  readers 
read  in  order  to  be  informed  and  they  welcome  fixed 
opinions.  Dogmatism  carried  to  a  certain  degree  is 
absolutely  essential  to  successful  teaching.  In  all 
the  subjects  which  he  treats  Mr.  Fukuzawa  takes  a 
side  and  so  presents  his  views  that  there  is  no  room 
for  an  opposite  theory.  Mr.  Chamberlain  has 
pronounced  Mr.  Fukuzawa  to  be  shallow.  We 
confess  we  have  failed  to  discover  in  what  his  shal- 
lowness  consists.  He  has  treated  some  of  the  deepest 
questions  of  life  and  of  philosophy  in,  as  it  seems  to 
us,  a  very  effective  manner,  and  has  shown  no 
tendency  to  shirk  difficulties  of  any  kind.  The  essay 
which  Mr.  Chamberlain  translated  for  his  "  Intro- 
duction to  the  Study  of  Japanese  Writing,"  already- 
cited,  struck  us  as  displaying  depth  rather  than 
shallowness.  His  contention  in  that  essay  would  be 
supported  by  many  great  writers  in  the  West.  Shal- 


172  ,/  l.TFK  (>/'  Mr.   YUKKttl  FUKUZAWA. 

lowness  is  a  term  of  reproach  that  \vc  should  never 
think  of  applying  to  Mr.  Fuku/.awa.  To  us  it  seems 
that  what  lie  discusses  he  discusses  thoroughly. 
Subjects  that  could  not  possibly  be  made  intelligible 
to  ordinary  readers  he  leaves  alone.  For  mysticism 
of  any  kind  he  has  no  taste.  He  is  eminently 
practical  and  hence  represents  the  English  or 
American  type  of  mind  rather  than  the  German.  In 
Japan  he  is  quite  a  new  product.  Me  is  in  every 
sense  of  the  word  a  self-made  man.  It  would  be  hard 
to  find  a  man  that  knows  Japan  better  than  he  and 
impossible  to  find  any  one  who  has  won  for  himself 
more  universal  respect  from  all  classes  of  society. 
His  pen  is  still  active.  Even  while  we  write  a  scries 
of  supplementary  essays  written  by  him  is  appearing 
in  the  //ji  Sliiinpo,  and  in  the  leading  columns  of 
that  journal  we  often  recognise  his  practised  hand. 
'Advanced  scholars  are  wont  to  talk  of  the  Mita  sage 
;is  a  man  of  the  past,  but  among  a  very  large  number 
of  people  his  popularity  has  never  been  greater  than 
it  is  to-day. 


APPENDIX    B. 

THE  MITA  SYSTEM  OF  ETHICS  AND  ITS* 
DETRACTORS. 

BY  PROF.  DENIM;. 

It  is  well-known  that  for  over  twenty  years  the 
Japanese  have  been  searching  for  a  ne\v  basis  of 
ethics.  Opinion  on  this  subject  may  now  be  said 
to  have  settled  clown  to  three  distinct  lines  of 
thought.  (i)  There  are  those  who  maintain  that 
religion  is  the  proper  and  the  only  sure  basis  for 
ethics.  (2)  There  are  those  who  believe  that 
philosophy  alone  furnishes  a  satisfactory  basis.  (3) 
There  is  the  practical  school,  which  contends  that 
morality,  like  all  other  things  in  the  world,  can  only 
be  judged  by  the  benefits  it  confers  on  those  who 
observe  it,  that  the  only  ethical  basis  that  has  a 
chance  of  being  understood  and  appreciated  is  one 
that  appeals  to  the  faculty  that  judges  of  moral 
facts,  the  internal  consciousness. 

(r).  In  reference  to  the  first  of  these  views  it  is 
necessary  to  observe  that  by  religion  we  mean  a 
creed  based  on  a  belief  in  miracles  or  a  supernatural 
interference  with  the  working  of  nature's  laws. 
Speaking  of  the  Japanese  as  a  nation,  after  more 

*   The  Japan  Weekly  Mail,  June  23,  1900 


I<  Mr-   YUKICUI  FUKUtAWA. 

than  a  quarter  of  a  century's  study  of  them  \ve  have 
no  hesitation  in  saying  that  there  is  not  the  shadow  of 
a  chance  of  their  accepting  this  basis  for  any  system  of 
national  ethics  that  they  may  construct.  From  what 
we  wrote  more  than  twelve  years  ago  on  this  subject 
we  beg  leave  to  make  a  short  extract.  The  words  re- 
presented the  ideas  of  leading  Japanese  on  the  subject 
of  the  religious  basis  for  ethics  at  the  time  they  were 
written,  but  we  venture  to  think  that  they  have  been 
strongly  emphasized  by  the  tendency  of  Japanese 
thought  during  the  past  four  or  five  years.  "  The 
idea  that  morality,  to  be  taught  effectually,  must  be 
based  entirely  on  religion  has  been  for  years  in  every 
part  of  the  world  the  source  of  incalculable  mischief. 
Religion,  we  use  the  term  in  its  ordinary  sense  as 
applied  to  a  system  of  faith  and  ceremony  claiming  to 
be  based  on  some  kind  of  supernatural  revelation,  has 
to  do  with  things  far  off,  mystic;  incomprehensible — 
such  as  rewards  and  punishments  in  a  future  life,  the 
need  of  semi-miraculous  spiritual  influences,  the  nature, 
attributes,  and  self-revelations  of  Gods  and  divinities. 
Morality,  or  Ethics  on  the  other  hand,  deals  with 
what  is  near,  lucid,  practical,  intelligible — such  as 
rewards  and  punishments  in  this  life,  mental  and 
physical  ;  the  grand  practical  reforms  to  be  effected 


APPENDIX    n.  175 

by  a  thorough  application  of  admitted  ethical  prin-  . 
ciples  ;  our  duties  as  human  beings,  as  members  of 
society,  and  as  citizens.  To  maintain  that  to  induce 
a  man  to  act  rightly  in  matters  which  immediately 
concern  him,  the  only  plan  is  to  direct  him  to 
something  that  remotely  concerns  him  ;  that  in  order 
to  persuade  him  to  act  in  the  best  manner  possible 
for  this  world,  you  must  induce  him  to  fear  the 
punishments  and  expect  the  rewards  of  another 
world,  appears  to  ordinary  common  sense  illogical. 
With  the  old  system  a  certain  amount  of  progress 
was  made.  Men  have  in  the  past  in  certain  countries 
and  for  a  certain  time  been  moral  because  they  were 
superstitious,  but  that  the  Japanese,  who  in  all  other 
matters  take  delight  in  being  abreast  of  the  age, 
should,  in  their  eagerness  to  attain  a  certain  end, 
confine  themselves  to  a  set  of  means  that,  as  Professor 
Huxley  and  others  have  shown,  are  being  more  and 
more  discarded  in  the  West,  is  too  much  to  expect. 
Instead  of  morality  deriving  strength  from 
being  based  on  religion,  in  as  far  as  it  rests  on  this 
basis  it  is  weak  and  open  to  attack.  About  so-called 
religious  doctrines  very  few  people  agree.  But 
whether  the  man  who  speaks  the  truth  or  the  man 
who  lies  is  the  man  to  be  esteemed  ;  whether  kindly 


1 76  .  /   /, //•  A'  O /'  Mr.    \  Y  'KlCflf  I-!  VvV  "X  ///'./. 

feeling  is  not  preferable  to  malice  ;  whether  the 
honest,  plain-speaking  man  is  not  to  be  chosen  as  a 
friend  rather  than  the  smooth-tongued,  flattering-, 

o  *  o  j 

and  double-faced  ;  whether  the  man  who  maintains 
his  family,  helps  his  relations,  and  is  always  ready  to 
serve  his  country  is  not  better  than  the  man  who 
skulks  out  of  all  such  duties,  and  the  like — these 
are  matters  about  which  all  civilized  people  are 
agreed."  * 

(2).  Religion,  divested  of  its  siipernaturalism,  as 
Christianity,  Buddhism,  and  Mohammedanism  have 
been  divested  by  certain  sects  and  schools  of  thought, 
becomes  a  system  of  philosophy.  As  such  we  grant 
that  it  may  form  a  basis  for  ethics  to  a  select  few. 
The  trouble  is  that  ethics  founded  on  philosophy  are 
quite  unintelligible  to  the  majority  of  those  persons 
who  most  need  guidance  in  morals.  We  know  of  no 
system  of  philosophic  ethics  that  does  not  require 
very  special  talents  and  technical  training  in  the 
student  who  aspires  to  understand  and  act  upon  it. 
We  are  then  confronted  with  the  fact  that,  though 
morality  is  of  vital  importance  to  the  whole  world, 
only  a  very  small  section  of  human  society  takes  any 

*  Vide  Japan   Mail,    March  17,  1888,    "  The  Japanese  in  search 
of  a  Basis  for  Ethics.'' 


APPENDIX    n.  177 

interest  in  philosophic  questions.  Does  not  this  fact  . 
put  ethics  founded  on  philosophy  out  of  court  in  an 
inquiry  such  as  we  are  conducting?  It  is  not  a  basis 
of  ethics  that  may  suit  a  fe\v  highly  cultured  men  that 
the  Japanese  are  in  search  of,  but  a  basis  that  can  be 
understood  and  appreciated  even  by  that  very  typical 
personage  the  "  man  in  the  street." 

(3).  Realising  all  the  above-named  difficulties 
and  many  more  which  we  have  not  deemed  it  neces- 
sary to  state,  Mr.  Fukuzawa  has  for  a  great  many 
years  been  an  earnest  preacher  of  practical  utilitarian 
ethics  as  the  only  system  that  possesses  the  two 
essential  attributes  of  thorough  intelligibility  and 
great  effectiveness.  Until  acts  are  considered  right 
or  wrong  because  of  their  proved  consequences  in 
this  world,  says  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  there  can  be  no 
universally  satisfactory  basis  for  morals.  Many  hard 
things  have  been  said  about  utilitarianism  as  an 
ethical  creed,  but  we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  in  every  case  those  who  have  represented 
utilitarianism  as  an  ignoble  belief  have  misunderstood 
the  meaning  of  the  word  utility  in  some  way  or 
other.  As  Mill  has  observed,  "  questions  of  ultimate 
ends  do  not  admit  of  proof  in  the  ordinary  acceptation 
of  the  term.  To  be  incapable  of  proof  by  reason 


178  A  LIFE  OF  Mr.  YUK1CHI  FUK17ZA  //'-?. 

is  common  to  all  first  principles  ;  to  the  first  premises 
of  our  knowledge,  as  well  as  to  those  of  our  con- 
duct." Questions  about  ends  resolve  themseves  into 
questions  as  to  what  things  are  desirable.  Now  the 
whole  human  race  is  agreed  in  thinking  happiness  to 
be  desirable,  and  that  is  sufficient  proof  that  it  is 
desirable.  Happiness  may  be  said  to  have  made 
out  its  title  to  be  one  of  the  ends  of  conduct  and 
therefore  one  of  the  criteria  of  morality.  This  is 
held  by  all  utilitarians,  but  no  well-informed  utili- 
tarian will  assert  that  happiness  is  the  sole  criterion 
of  morality.  He  will  admit  that  virtue  also  is 
desirable  for  itself  and  also  as  a  means  of  happiness. 
Speaking  broadly,  the  view  of  the  utilitarian  is  that 
the  welfare  of  the  community  and  the  welfare  of 
individuals  in  every  respect  is  the  final  object  of  all 
morality,  as  it  is  of  all  other  existing  enlightening 
agencies.  He  does  itot  hold  that  morality  is  one 
and  the  same  in  all  times  and  for  all  persons.  He 
realises  that  in  the  different  stages  of  progress 
through  which  individuals  and  nations  pass  different 
moral  principles  need  to  be  enunciated.  Certain 
general  principles  may  be  said  to  be  fixed,  but  the 
application  of  these  must  depend  on  circumstances. 
Briefly  stated,  these  are  Mr.  Fukuxawa's  views.  The 


APPENDIX    B.  179 

Mita  system  of  ethics,  as  it  is  now  known  in  Japan, 
did  not  wholly  originate  with  Mr.  Fukux.awa, 
though  doubtless  it  is  in  the  main  an  embodiment  of 
his  views.  The  S/inshin  Yoryo,  in  which  the  system 
is  unfolded  and  explained,  was  compiled  by  certain 
teachers  in  the  Keiogijuku  and  afterwards  received 
the  sanction  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa.  A  full  outline  of  the 
contents  of  the  S/ttis/iin  Yoryo  was  given  in  the 
March  Monthly  Summary  of  the  Religious  Press 
(March  Qth).  Owing  to  the  way  in  which  the  Mita 
doctrines  have  been  distorted  by  certain  Christian 
writers  on  the  one  hand  and  by  conservative  writers 
like  Dr.  Inoue  Tetsujiro-  on  the  other,  a  few  days 
ago*  a  concise  account  of  the  sense  in  which  the 
terms  "  Independence  and  Self-respect,"  the  basis 
of  the  Mita  ethics,  arc  used  in  the  ShtisJiin  Yoryo 
was  published  in  the  Jiji  SJiinipo  :  which  we  translate 
below. 

"  Though  it  is  not  easy  to  convey  in  a  few  words 
all  the  breadth  of  meaning  contained  in  the  terms 
independence  and  self-respect,  which  form  the  basis 
of  the  system  of  morality  propounded  in  the  ShAshin 
Yoryo,  the  following  explanation  of  the  term,  fur- 

*   I'idi  the  issue  of  June  ist. 


i8o  A   LIFE  OF  Mr.    YrKfCHI  FUKUZAWA. 

nished  to  one  or  two  of  the  students  of  the  Keiogijuku 
in  response  to  inquiries  on  the  subject,  suffices  to 
give  some  idea  of  their  import. 

(i.)  A  man  of  independence  and  self-respect 
mixes  freely  with  his  fellow-men  and  has  no  small 
regard  for  them,  but  on  this  account  he  does  not  in 
the  slightest  degree  alter  his  own  convictions. 

(2.)  A  man  of  independence  and  self-respect 
exercises  self-control  and  self-discipline. 

(3.)  A  man  of  independence  and  self-respect 
holds  truth  and  integrity  in  high  esteem  and  neither 
deceives  himself  nor  deceives  others. 

(4.)  A  man  of  independence  and  self-respect  is 
anxious  to  help  others  to  develop  to  the  full  their 
independence  and  self-respect. 

(5.)  Although  a  man  may  by  his  personal  efforts 
make  a  living  for  himself  and  his  family,  if  he  does 
not  fulfil  his  duties  to  society  at  large,  he  cannot  be 
called  a  man  of  independence  and  seif-respect. 

(6.)  A  man  of  independence  and  self-respect 
observes  all  obligatory  rules  without  waiting  to  be 
told  to  do  so  by  others. 

(7.)  It  goes  without  saying  that  a  man  of 
independence  and  self-respect  should  fulfil  his  duties 
to  himself,  his  family,  and  his  country,  but  he  must 


APPENDIX    B.  iM 

also   fulfil   his   duty   to  all  mankind  and  to  the  lower 
animals. 

(8.)  He  who  is  a  slave  to  his  own  lusts  and  who 
has  no  control  over  himself,  can  neither  be  said  to  be 
independent  nor  to  possess  self-respect. 

(9.)  He  who,  instead  of  being  controlled  by  the 
forces  of  nature,  uses  them  as  a  means  of  making  his 
life  refined,  useful,  and  happy  is  a  man  of  independ- 
ence and  self-respect. 

(10.)  He  who  is  so  ill-acquainted  with  truth  as 
to  be  swayed  to  and  fro  by  the  wind  of  superstition 
is  not  a  man  of  independence  and  self-respect. 

(u.)  He  who  is  so  affected  by  the  good  or  ill 
that  may  befall  him  as  to  lose  his  equanimity  is  not 
a  man  of  independence  and  self-respect. 

(12.)  He  who  knows  how  to  accumulate  money, 
but  knows  not  how  to  spend  it,  is  not  a  man  of 
independence  and  self-respect. 

(13.)  Arrogance  is  the  result  of  a  very  despicable 
disposition  of  mind  and  is  not  entertained  by  a  man 
who  has  self-respect. 

(14.)  He  who  respects  himself  respects  others; 
and  he  who  despises  himself  despises  others. 

These  explanations  undented ly  clear  the  Mita 
system  of  ethics  from  the  charges  formulated  by  Dr. 


OF  Mr.    )Y'A7(7//  /-7Vv7  •/.///'./. 

Inouc  Tctsujiro,  and  some  Christian  writers,  to  the 
effect  that  the  "  self  "  which  is  held  up  for  esteem  is 
an  ignoble  "  self."  We  cannot  understand  how  any 
careful  reader  of  the  Skiiskin  Yoryo  could  accuse  its 
compilers  of  making  an  inferior  type  of  human  nature 
the  basis  of  an  ethical  system.  Throughout  the  29 
sections  of  which  the  work  is  composed  a  very  lofty 
type  of  man  is  held  up  for  imitation.  The  ideal  man 
of  the  Mita  school  of  ethics  is  a  man  who  has 
cultivated  to  the  full  his  moral  nature  (sec.  12),  a 
man  who  respects  the  rights  of  others  (sec.  14),  a 
man  who  is  averse  to  harbouring  jealousy  and  hatred 
(sec.  15),  a  man  who  has  a  high  sense  of  responsibility 
and  who  acts  honestly  and  straightforwardly  towards 
those  to  whom  he  is  responsible  (sec.  16),  a  man  who 
trusts  others  and  gives  them  good  reason  to  trust  him 
(sec.  17),  a  man  who  carefully  observes  the  etiquette 
of  life  (sec.  18),  a  man  who  knows  how  to  make  allow- 
ance for  the  feelings  of  others  (sec.  19),  a  man  whose 
kindness  of  heart  extends  even  to  animals  (sec.  20),  a 
man  who  has  been  subjected  to  the  refining  and 
elevating  influences  of  art  and  literature,  a  man  who 
serves  his  country  well,  pays  his  taxes,  and  obeys  the 
law  (sec.  22,  23,  24  and  25),  a  man  who  treats 
foreigners  as  his  equals  (sec.  26),  a  man  of  progressive 


APPENDIX    3.  183 

spirit  who  aims  at  transmitting  to  posterity  the  civilt-  ' 
zation  he  has  inherited  in  an  improved  form  (sec.  27). 
Two  distinct  classes  of  objectors  to  Mr.  Fuku- 
x.awa's  ethics  have  come  forward.  One  of  these,  led 
by  Dr.  Inoue,  objects  to  it  on  philosophic  grounds, 
the  other  repudiates  it  on  religious  grounds.  The 
sentiments  expressed  in  Dr.  Inoue's  Sendai  speech, 
reported  fully  in  these  columns,  have,  we  observe, 
been  restated  in  Tokyo,  and  have  attracted  a  good 
deal  of  attention  throughout  the  country.  It  seems 
to  us  that  the  objections  to  the  Mita  ethics  stated  in 
that  speech  will  not  bear  examination.  Let  us  take 
them  in  order.  "  A  standard  of  morality,"  says  Dr. 
Inoue,  "  ought  to  be  universally  applicable,  and 
nothing  can  be  plainer  than  the  fact  that  Mr.  Fuku- 
zawa's  standard  is  not  universally  applicable."  Now 
in  the  first  place  it  is  only  fair  to  state  that  the 
compilers  of  the  Shiishin  Yoryo  make  no  pretensions 
to  supply  the  country  with  a  new  standard  of 
morality.  All  they  do  is  to  lay  stress  on  the 
importance  of  certain  moral  principles.  But  is  it  true 
to  say  that  the  various  standards  of  morality  in  use 
to-day  are  universally  applicable  ?  Does  not  every 
nation  possess  its  own  standard  ?  And  is  not  the 
standard  constantly  undergoing  change  ?  Is  the 


1 84  ./    /.//-•/-;  01''  Mr.    \TKfC.lll   /-//AY '/.-///'.  /. 

standard  the  same  in  England  to-day  that  it  was  fifty- 
years  ago  ?  We  are  not  now  speaking  of  general 
abstract  principles,  but  of  that  standard  which  each 
normal  man  and  each  normal  woman  has  in  his  or 
her  mind  when  considering  actions,  their  own  or 
those  of  others.  Dr.  Inoue  has  not  given  us  his 
own  standard  and  so  we  are  not  in  a  position  to 
judge  of  it,  but  from  many  remarks  that  he  has  made 
we  infer  that  it  will  prove  to  be  absolute,  and 
therefore  practically  unusable.  Mr.  Fuktizawa's 
doctrine,  says  Dr.  Inoue,  is  a  reaction  from  the  sub- 
jection taught  in  this  country  for  so  many  centuries 
and  therefore  is  not  to  be  relied  on.  Have  not  all 
important  doctrines  on  religious  and  moral  subjects 
been  reactions  ?  Were  not  the  doctrines  of  Shaka 
Muni  and  Christ  reactions  against  the  thraldom  of 
prevailing  ideas  in  India  and  Judaea  respectively  ?  Has 
not  the  world's  progress  been  marked  by  perpetual 
reactions  ?  ''  Could  morality  exist  at  all  if  the  doctrine 
of  subjection  to  lawful  authority  were  abolished  ?" 
asks  Dr.  Inoue.  Where  in  the  Shfishm  Y6ry6  is  this 
course  recommended  ?  Does  not  the  Mita  system  of 
ethics  lay  stress  on  the  importance  of  obeying  all 
lawful  authority  (vide  sees,  ir,  24  and  25)?  Dr. 
Inoue  proceeds  to  set  up  another  dummy,  absolute 


APPENDIX    />'.  185 

independence,  and  to  demolish  it  to  his  own  satisfac- 
tion. "Where  in  actual  life,"  he  asks,  "  is  absolute 
independence  possible  ?"  From  Mr.  Fukuzawa's 
writings  scores  of  passages  could  be  quoted  which 
would  all  give  the  answer  "  nowhere."  Dr.  Inoue 
next  proceeds  to  argue  that  'he  Mita  system  of  ethics 
is  Rousseauism  dished  up  afresh.  We  confess  that  we 
fail  to  see  the  resemblance.  Mr.  Fulcuzawa  is  far  too 
shrewd  a  man  not  to  see  that  the  doctrine  of  the 
equality  of  all  men  as  it  was  understood  in  France  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  even  if  proclaimed  here,  which 
as  yet  it  has  not  been,  would  make  no  headway.  The 
fault  we  have  to  find  with  Dr.  Inoue's  attack  on  the 
Mita  ethics  is  that  it  entirely  fails  to  represent  them  in 
their  true  light.  The  system  is,  of  course,  imperfect 
and  intended  to  fill  a  gap.  But  it  is  quite  untrue  to 
say  that  there  is  anything  ignoble  or  demoralising  in 
it.  It  is  quite  unfair  to  say  that  it  is  an  ignominious 
"  Self  "  that  Mr.  Fukuxawa  exalts  to  the  throne  in 
his  new  kingdom.  We  have  strong  suspicions  that 
Dr.  Inoue's  chief  grudge  against  Mr.  Fukuxawa  is 
connected  with  what  Dr.  Inone  would  call  the  pro- 
foreign  bias  of  the  Mita  Sage.  This  stalwart  apostle 
of  Western  methods  and  Western  thought  is  an 
eyesore  to  men  of  conservative  instincts  like  Dr. 


i86  .  /   /,  //••/•:  ( > /•  Mr.   }  Y/A7C///  y-Y  'A7. '/.//; :  I. 

Inouc.  Dr.  I  none  holds  Mr.  Fuku/.awa  responsible 
for  prevailing  money-worship.  We  ourselves,  after 
very  careful  scrutiny,  have  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  is  very  little  money-worship  anywhere  in 
Japan.  If  money- worship  consists  of  spending 
money  almost  as  fast  as  it  is  made,  if  not  a  little 
faster,  as  Count  Matsukata  has  lately  told  us  is  the 
custom  with  the  majority  of  the  Japanese,  then  the 
nation  is  composed  of  money- worshippers.  Most  sen- 
sible people  will  see  that  Mr.  Fuku/awa's  views  on  the 
value  of  money  are  those  of  advanced  Western  nations 
and  that  the  premium  put  on  poverty  by  Dr.  Inoue  is 
but  the  echo  of  a  past  state  of  thought  that  is  in  a  fair 
way  of  being  eradicated  from  the  mind  of  the  nation. 
The  chief  objection  brought  against  the  Mita 
system  of  ethics  by  Christian  writers  has  alrady  been 
partly  answered.  But  another  objection  demands 
consideration.  A  very  shrewd  writer  in  the  Koyc  a 
short  time  ago  maintained  that  human  nature  can  not 
be  considered  noble  if  what  Mr.  Fukuzawa  writes 
about  it  is  true.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  is  a  materialist,  says 
this  writer.  "  From  the  point  of  view  of  materialism 
there  is  very  little  difference  between  human  beings 
and  ordinary  animals.  Whence  then  comes  the  reason 
for  man's  self-esteem  ?  Is  not  his  life  utterly 


APPENDIX    />'.  187 

insignificant?  Dust  he  is  and  to  dust  he  shall 
return.  What  is  there  in  him  that  is  worthy  of 
honour  ?  The  view  of  human  nature  adopted  by 
Mr.  Fukuzawa  ill  accords  with  the  elevation  of  self- 
esteem  into  a  basis  of  morality.  If  the  immortality 
of  the  soul  be  ^denied,  man  ceases  to  occupy  a 
prominent  place  in  the  Universe.  The  Christian  can 
appreciate  all  Mr.  Fukuzawa  says  about  self-esteem, 
because  his  view  of  the  origin  and  of  the  destination 
of  man  ennobles  human  nature.  But  in  the  absence 
of  Christian  belief  self-esteem  is  meaningless  and  in- 
effective as  a  motive  power.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  has  adopt- 
ed the  conclusion  to  which  Christians  have  come, 
namely,  that  human  nature  is  noble  and  worthy  of 
high  honour,  but  he  denies  the  premieses  on  which 
that  conclusion  rests.  Hence  his  system  of  morality  is 
illogical  and  can  never  effect  much  good."  This  is 
certainly  a  very  powerful  argument  and  an  argument 
that  to  a  certain  extent  is  irrefutable.  As  was 
pointed  out  in  these  columns  some  time  ago,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa's  system  of  moral  philosophy  reveals  serious 
inconsistencies.  But  the  question  is,  do  not  the  two 
views  of  human  nature  given  by  Mr.  Fukuzawa 
represent  the  true  condition  of  man  ?  Is  not  his 
existence  here  regarded  from  one  point  of  view 


189  .1   /.//••/-;  ()/•  „]/>-.   Yf/A7i '//{  AY  'AY  '/.  I  If.  1. 

utterly  insignificant,  while  differently  regarded  it 
assumes  great  importance  ?  Can  it  be  truthfully  said 
that  the  importance  attached  to  life  by  the  majority 
of  people  even  in  so  called  Christian  countries  to-day 
is  dependent  on  belief  in  the  immortality  of  the 
soul  ?  We  think  that  if  a  census  of  opinion  could  be 
taken  on  this  point,  the  answer  would  be  an  emphatic, 
no.  Men  value  life  for  what  it  yields  of  happiness, 
and  invariably  wish  it  to  end  when  all  hope  of  hap- 
piness is  gone.  Most  of  us  are  thoroughly  convinced 
of  the  fact  that  the  world  can  get  on  without  us  : 
that  it  is  only  those  who  depend  on  our  work  or  our 
counsel  that  will  really  miss  us.  If  we  think  it 
important  to  lengthen  out  our  lives  as  much  as 
possible,  it  is  because  we  realise  our  responsibilities 
in  one  or  other  of  life's  many  relationships  to  persons 
dependent  on  us.  The  importance  of  man  on 
account  of  his  high  destiny  or  his  divine  origin  may 
be  said  to  be  an  exploded  theory,  that  served  a  good 
purpose  when  man  knew  less  about  the  universe  and 
its  laws  than  he  does  now.  Now  that  we  have 
discovered  other  planets  and  have  pictured  to 
ourselves  the  millions  of  beings  that  have  inhabited  or 
may  in  the  future  inhabit  those  distant  regions,  the  old 
notion  that  the  countless  trillions  of  personal  units 


APPENDIX    K.  i8g 

that  have  appeared  on  this  planet  will  have  their 
separate  individual  existence  perpetuated  to  all  time, 
though  it  did  good  service  in  firing  the  imagination 
of  a  Dante  or  a  Milton,  is  regarded  by  us  as  more 
serious  but  not  more  true  than  what  Gulliver  has 
written  about  Brobdignag,  Laputa,  and  other  places. 
Yet  the  fact  remains,  on  which  Mr.  Fukuzawu  lays 
stress,  that  man's  life  is,  in  all  civilised  countries, 
considered  important.  The  argument  of  the  defend- 
ers of  religion,  that  you  can  have  no  satisfactory 
morality  without  religion,  then  falls  to  the  ground  ;  for 
while  belief  in  a  supernatural  religion  is  daily  on  the 
wane,  there  is  not  a  single  cnmmunity  of  any  impor- 
tance in  the  world  but  acknowledges  the  necessity  of 
morality  and  possesses  its  own  special  standard. 

Utilitarianism  as  a  system  of  philosophy  may  be 
unintelligible  to  the  masses,  but  Mr.  Fukuzawa's 
adaptation  of  the  leading  principles  of  this  system 
may  be  understood  even  by  a  man  who  has  enjoyed 
few  educational  advantages.  Of  what  docs  and  what 
does  not  conduce  to  the  welfare  of  society  most 
people  are  very  fair  judges.  What  stamp  of  man 
and  what  stamp  of  woman  docs  Japan  need  to  possess 
in  the  Twentieth  Century,  when  her  competition 
with  Western  nations  will  yearly  become  keener? 


IQO  A  JJFE  Or  Mr.    YVKICIll  I- 1  *A7  '/  lll'.i. 

This  is  the  question  which  the  compilers  of  the 
Sh its/tin  Yoryo  have  sought  to  answer.  They  have 
no  doubt  left  many  things  unsaid  and  in  our  opinion 
have  said  some  things  that  need  not  have  been  said. 
Among  the  latter  insistence  on  independence  of 
spirit,  a  quality  which  seems  to  us  already  developed 
to  excess  in  most  young  men,  must  be  included. 
But  on  the  whole  they  are  to  be  congratulated  for 
having  turned  the  discussion  of  ethics  away  from 
barren  theories  about  abstract  standards  and  centred 
it  on  practical  life.  They  have  appealed  to  common 
sense  and  will  not  appeal  in  vain.  As  for  there  being 
any  authority  for  moral  teaching  beyond  that  which 
the  consensus  of  an  ever  changing  opinion  gives  to 
it,  the  notion  is  antiquated  in  the  extreme  and  has 
been  dismissed  by  the  Mita  moralists  as  unworthy 
of  a  moment's  consideration.  The  Mita  system  is 
founded  on  the  bed  rock  of  bare  fact  and  hence  a 
stability  not  possessed  by  the  aerial  structures  that 
pose  as  its  rivals.  Mr.  Fukuzawa  knows  well  what 
are  the  conscientious  feelings  of  his  fellow-country- 
men. To  these  he  has  appealed,  and  in  doing  so  has 
adopted  the  course  which  moral  reformers  of  all 
times  and  all  countries  have  followed  with  success. 


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UTS  ANGcLtS,  CALlru^NlA 


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